Clarke's Survey of the Lakes, 1787

---

	title page
	previous page next page
	Page 152:- Low Grathwaite is the property of William Rawlinson, Esquire. Both these houses are very good modern buildings, and both the owners seem to have a great predilection for gardening; their situation is in a hollow circus, which disappoints them of viewing the Lake Winandermere. Mr Rawlinson has at one end of his garden a mount, underneath which is a cellar, and on the top a flower garden, surrounded with a fanciful yew hedge; this commands a pretty extensive view of the Lake through an opening in the woods. The houses are sheltered from the winds on every side, but are extremely hot in Summer; and as the descent to the Lake is steep and woody, the traveller will be agreeably surprized at his coming in view (suddenly) of these beautiful mansions, in the midst of wood and desart.
High Stott Park
	We next pass Stott-Park, by some called Oxen-Park; (Stott in the North country dialect signifies an Ox, but is by the farmers so called till four years of age, after which age he is called an Ox.) This estate is the property of a Mr Brathwaite; here are two good houses, with pretty gardens; their situation is low, without any extensive prospect or view of the Lake; but there are some flat meadows before them, with beautiful copses of wood interspersed, which afford a pleasing variety; many of them jut into the Lake, and indent the shore, making several bays and peninsulas, which at high-water become, some of them, islands. The Lake exhibits much the same appearance as far as Landing, near which Mr Harrison has made some improvements: In this place, and within half a mile, the soil is not above a yard thick, under which is fine small sand, without the smallest mixture of vegetative earth. This sand the inhabitants use for all purposes of river sand, mixing their lime, and covering the roads with it. I cannot imagine, (unless we suppose the Lake to have been larger formerly than at present) how this sand could come here; no flood, (the deluge excepted) could rise so high; and as the same strata are found on both sides of the water, we must conclude that the cause, be what it will, must have been very extensive.
Newby Bridge
	We next come to Newby Bridge, where is a neat village, and an handsome stone bridge across the stream which flows from the Lake: Here are landed vast quantities of slate, coals, iron-ore, and all kinds of merchandise, which are brought from different parts of the circumjacent country.
forestry   oak, Low Wood
	Hence may be had a passage by water to Bowness or Ambleside; there is also a good road to Lancaster, which is twenty miles distant by way of Cartmel, and to Kendale, which is fourteen by Fell-Foot; there is likewise a road to Ambleside by way of Bowness along the southern margin of the Lake; this is a pleasant road in point of rural beauty, but affords nothing for either the historian or antiquarian. The soil is barren, and produces little or nothing but wood, which is remarkablY quick of growth whilst young; at the age of twenty or twenty-five years, its growth seems to slacken, (probably on account of the shallowness of the soil,) and therefore the proprietors cut it every fourteen or sixteen years for charcoal, hoops, and such like purposes: They take care, however, to cut always such a proportion that there may remain an equal quantity to cut every year. So naturally productive is this county of wood, that should a piece of the common be inclosed, in a few years it is spontaneously planted. Though, from what we have said, it may be concluded that there are no large or timber trees in this country, yet is not this rule without exception: in Rydale Park, and some other places, are yet remaining trees of a very large size, tho' the largest and oldest were felled about six years ago. There is an oak tree growing at Mr Birkett's of Low-Wood, (see plate X.) which he himself planted, and which is a real curiosity, on account of its beauty, magnitude, and quick growth. A man of the name of Skilbeck had for some years taken notice of the quick growth of this tree; being once at Mr Birkett's sheep-shearing, he found that he could, when sitting upon the ground, exactly fathom it; next year, at the same season, he again
	tried
	gazetteer links
	-- Fell Foot Wood
	-- "High Grathwaite" -- Graythwaite Hall
	-- "Low Grathwaite" -- Graythwaite Old Hall
	-- "Stott Park" -- High Stott Park
	-- "Landing" -- Landing How
	-- Newby Bridge
	-- "Newby Bridge" -- Newby Bridge
	-- Windermere to Newby Bridge
	-- "Rydale Park" -- Rydal Park
	-- "Low Wood" -- Wood Farm
	next page

Lakes Guides menu.

---