BB1337 : Lake For Sale

Wednesday 23rd October 2013

“Why, William, on that old grey stone,
Thus for the length of half a day,
Why, William, sit you thus alone,
And dream your time away?”
 

One morning thus, by Esthwaite lake,
When life was sweet, I knew not why,
To me my good friend Matthew spake,
And thus I made reply.

Ask not wherefore, here, alone,
Conversing as I may,
I sit upon this old grey stone,
And dream my time away.

If that doesn't quite make sense to you, it could be because a few verses have been omitted. See Expostulation and Reply for William Wordsworth's complete poem.

Many people think of the Lake District as a lovely place to visit providing it is not raining Some welcome the drama of the damper weather.  However, with your own lake, you can enjoy it in full sunshine and then quickly learn about the pleasures to be experienced whilst the lake is being refilled.  Or, indeed in the right season, delight in what Wordsworth called Esthwaite's splitting fields of ice.

Perhaps, like Wordsworth, you, too, wish to dream your time away.

Or maybe you prefer to have a more active and commercial lifestyle.

Whichever, where better than on your very own lake in this greenest of pleasant lands?

You now have the rare unique opportunity to acquire a 15 year lease on the largest privately owned lake in the Lake District, Esthwaite Water.

KEY FEATURES

  • 280 acre lake plus land of approximately 7 acres.
  • Fishing tackle shop.
  • Artists' studio
  • Café in a Victorian boathouse with a fish and Beatrix Potter theme.  
  • Trout fishery in the summer and a coarse fishery in the Winter.
    It is the most significant pike water in the country, boasting the English record.
  • Home to a wide variety of resident wild life, including otters and osprey.
  • Home to Beatrix Potter's Jeremy Fisher, the waistcoat wearing, newspaper reading, copyright protected, gentleman frog.
  • The start point for the BOOTboys Esthwaite Round

Esthwaite Water Visitor Centre entrance

studio exterior

Catch your own child, £1.22 per lb

moorings

studio interior

The tea room

You will not be alone in your desire to own a lake in the Lake District, especially one with a BOOTboys connection. But hurry, time is limited.  There is much interest in this opportunity and bidding is expected to take place on Ebay on 15th November.

For further information visit these websites:

Lake
For Sale

The
Fishery

Osprey
Safari

Water Colour Painting

The BOOTboys Esthwaite Round

Please Note:

This is an all weather walk.  Stout boots and waterproof clothing strongly recommended. Frilly knickers or thermal undies?  You decide.

The description below gives a (not necessarily totally accurate) impression of the walk, not detailed directions. It is no substitute for the OS 1:25k map plus compass, gps or sunstone.

Anyone undertaking some or all of this walk does so at his or her own risk, is totally responsible for his or her own actions and no liability whatsoever shall be construed against any BOOTboy for errors, omissions or otherwise misleading comments or any other matters leading to loss of life, limb, mind, virtue or wallet.

1

Start from the Boathouse Café.  Seek the path that runs south alongside the lake but if the weather is too bad, go back in for a brew and try again later.
Repeat as necessary.

2

Follow the Beatrix Potter path south.  Most of the walkway boards over the many wet bits are mesh covered and quite safe.  But the odd one isn't.

If the stream is in spate you need to decide whether you are in the Greg Rutherford class of long jumpers.

If your are not, then head up to the road, climb over the wire on the wall (careful, gentlemen), cross the stream then same in reverse (ditto warning) to regain the path.

3

At the bottom of the lake, follow the road up to Far Sawrey where, if you wish (mandatory if you are Japanese), visit the Beatrix Potter house, otherwise take the bridle path up to Moss Eccles Tarn.

4

Proceed to Wise Een Tarn where you have a decision to make.  

One option is to take the trail to Wraymires Tarn but to do so you will have to pass a no-entry sign, climb a locked gate and negotiate a field containing bulls and, even more dangerous, cows with calves.  

Those more law abiding and self preserving individuals will continue along the bridle path, noting Highs Moss Tarn on your right before taking a path to your left which soon joins another trail heading west down towards Hawkshead.

5

Negotiate the paths and fields into Hawkshead itself where, if you can drag yourself away from the shops, cafés, pubs and other attractions, lunch can be taken on a convenient bench outside St Michael and All Angels church.  

Sheltering under an umbrella can be a great help.

6

Another decision now needs to be taken.  

There is a logical route up round Hawkshead Moor but if the rain persists, go out the back of the church yard, along to Roger Ground then drop down towards the road to the west of the lake.

7

To minimise the effect of the rain, run along the road to the Loweswater Brewery.

Do not be confused.  Loweswater beer is brewed at Hawkshead, not Loweswater. Hawkshead beer is brewed in Staveley, not Hawkshead.  Where is Staveley beer brewed?  Anyway, be prepared for disappointment.  It is a micro brewery but not a pub.  

8

Start running again until you are back at the Boathouse Café.  Call in to dry off and have another cup of tea. Alternatively jump into your car and head for the Cuckoo Brow Inn (formerly the Sawrey Hotel) for a pint.  Or another cup of tea if you prefer.

 

After completing the BOOTboys Esthwaite Round, you must now decide how much you intend to offer for the 15 year rights.  

Don't forget, the auction is 15th November unless previously sold so if you are very keen, it might be wise to have a chat with the owner somewhat sooner.

Don, 23rd October 2013

 The Colour Supplement

Esthwaite Visitor Centre

Moss Eccles Tarn

The walkway

Hawkshead

Wise Een Tarn

Fairfield Horseshoe behind Latterbarrow

Fine Hawkshead House

Churchyard delicacy

Comitibus :  Outside Hawkshead Church

Ancient slate walling

Shepherd's wind

Me!

The Cuckoo Brow Inn

St Michael and All Angels Church

Over the rooftops

Inside the church

Bijou cottage

Broom Riggs

Loweswater brewery

Refuelling the ferry

 

 

STATISTICS:  

BB1337

Date:  

Wednesday 23rd October 2013

Distance in miles:

7.9 (Garmin GPS)

Height climbed in feet:

953 (Memory Map / OS)

Features:

Esthaite Water

Comitibus:

Don, James, Mike

 

 

 BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1337 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - see: Which Wainwright When?

For the latest totals of the mileages and heights (ditto) see: BB Log.

 

 

Photos have been gleaned from many sources although mostly from me! Likewise written comment.  Unless stated otherwise, please feel free to download the material if you wish.  
A reference back to this website would be appreciated but not essential.
.If I have failed to acknowledge properly the source or infringed copyright, then I apologise.
. Please let me know and I will do my best to put things right.

 

 

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Expostulation
and Reply

"Why, William, on that old gray stone,

Thus for the length of half a day,

Why, William, sit you thus alone,

And dream your time away?

 

"Where are your books?
— that light bequeathed

To Beings else forlorn and blind!

Up! up! and drink the spirit breathed

From dead men to their kind.

 

"You look round on your Mother Earth,

As if she for no purpose bore you;

As if you were her first-born birth,

And none had lived before you!"

 

One morning thus, by Esthwaite lake,

When life was sweet, I knew not why,

To me my good friend Matthew spake,

And thus I made reply:—

 

"The eye—it cannot choose but see;

We cannot bid the ear be still;

Our bodies feel, where'er they be,

Against or with our will.

 

"Nor less I deem that there are Powers

Which of themselves our minds impress;

That we can feed this mind of ours

In a wise passiveness.

 

"Think you, 'mid all this mighty sum

Of things forever speaking,

That nothing of itself will come

But we must still be seeking?

 

"Then ask not wherefore, here, alone,

Conversing as I may,

I sit upon this old gray stone,

And dream my time away."

  

 

The Prelude

Extract from
Childhood and
School-time

Incessant rain was falling,
or the frost Raged bitterly,
with keen and silent tooth;
And, interrupting oft
that eager game,
From under
Esthwaite's
splitting fields of ice

The pent-up air,
struggling to free itself,
Gave out to meadow grounds
and hills
a loud Protracted yelling,
like the noise
of wolves
Howling in troops
along the Bothnic Main