Day 9 - Lake District, Hadrian's Wall, & Whitby

*Due to slow Internet speeds in the Lake District and Whitby, this post has been delayed.*

Since Ullswater was just to the east of our B&B, I decided to get up early to catch the sun rise over the still water and mountains. I wasn't disappointed as it was a wonderful sight!

After breakfast, we jumped in the car, headed up to Kirkstone Pass, then took the route called "The Struggle" down to Ambleside. This route has a 20% downward grade and is on a narrow road bounded by stone hedgerows. It's a lot of fun to drive and affords some spectacular views. Once we arrived in Ambleside, I had two destinations to cover: Old Bank Chocolates to get Kendel Mint Cakes and Friar's to get some random chocolate gifts. Kendel Mint Cakes are like Hershey bar sized York Peppermint Patties. They are crunchy/hard and pack a very minty punch. They are delicious and can be a great mid afternoon snack! After some additional shopping, we headed north to Dove Cottage where Wordsworth lived and wrote. We didn't tour the building, but we walked around the area and visited the gift shop. The workers were very nice and friendly, something we've found nearly everywhere we've been. The village of Grasmere, a short walk from Dove Cottage, was our next stop. Wordsworth and his family are interred in the local churchyard which is just around the corner from the famous Grasmere gingerbread kitchen. Picked up some for our car and for gifts, then headed to lunch.

Following a great meal overlooking the river, we headed to Keswick and the Castlerigg stone circle. This is located on the summit of a hill that is surrounded by the mountains of the area. Sheep roam freely and today many people were out picnicking amongst the stones. This is my favorite stone circle because of the location and I think Marianne and Carolyn enjoyed it too.

Next up was Housesteads Roman Fort which lies directly on Hadrian's Wall. I visited here three years ago, but it was so rainy and cold that we went into the visitors center and no further. Today, however, I had the chance to walk among the ruined fort walls, touch and walk on Hadrian's Wall, watch a farmer herd his sheep, and see the remains of the fort's latrine...fun! Housesteads is situation on a high point and one can easily see why the Romans chose to fortify this position. They could easily see the clans from the north approach from miles away. As a history buff, this site really spoke to me. Being able to touch and walk on this ancient wall built by Italians so far from home made it feel quite real and present.

 

Our final stop was our B&B in Whitby which is situated on the east cost of England with a ruined abbey sitting above the town on a bluff. Whitby is also known for having one the best places in England for fish and chips: Trencher's. After waiting a brief time in the queue, we sat down and were treated to the crunchiest batter and flakiest fish around. A great end to a wonderful day moving across the English isle. Tomorrow we explore the abbey before heading to York.