THE ENGLISH LAKES: A History
THE ENGLISH LAKES: A History
IAN THOMPSON Book Number: 73824 Product format: Hardback
The Lake District is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and certainly the most dramatic parts of England, but it was not always thus. In 1722 Daniel Defoe remarked on the inhospitable terror of the high and formidable peaks and was of the opinion that upon reaching the unpassable hills of Westmorland all the pleasant part of England was at an end. There were many other travel writers of the period who held a similar opinion, but a strange combination of events saw the Lake District's popular image transformed in the space of 50 years. The Georgians had developed a fascination with the Alps, but the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars made travel there impossible. So, our budding mountaineers turned their attentions closer to home, providing the spark for a national and international love affair with the Lakes. Add to this the arrival of the likes of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey and De Quincey and their transformation from a region of horrid mountains to one of vales of peace was complete. Over 20 million people a year visit the Lake District, and one of the questions Ian Thompson tackles here is how, given this pressure, has it managed to retain its natural beauty and tranquillity? What is the source of its magnetic attraction and how did it come to exert its spell? As well as the poets, artists, climbers, conservationists and storytellers like Turner, Ruskin, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome have added to our perception of this magical place, and how could we not mention the legend that is Alfred Wainwright, who did more than anybody to get over to people how special a place it is. Crammed with fascinating details and a lifetime's observations and superb colour photos from the author, plus paintings, etchings and archive photography. 343pp, US edition.
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