Day 22 - Rydal and Grasmere Loop

July 23:  We broke Elaine in today to the traditional Lake District vacation - a 9.9 mile walk, repeating a route we had done on July 3rd.  We led her to Rydal Water, with a brief stop at Rydal Hall (a country manor, now a retreat center) and Rydal Mount (last home of Wordsworth), on to Grasmere, passing Dove Cottage (Wordsworth's early cottage) and lunch at the Potted Out (panninis and local Collie Wobbles beer for me), and then back along the shores of Grasmere and Rydal Water and along the River Rothay to Ambleside.  I am attaching a variety of photos with some explanations.

A traditional stone bridge originally built for drovers

A juvenile buzzard, a common raptor in England; this one had likely been kicked out of the nest and was protesting loudly 

Entering the garden at Rydal Hall

 The following photos are all flowers in the formal garden in front of Rydal Hall.

 Rydal Mount, showing the formerly hidden window - small one on the second floor left.  Windows were taxed and thus covering it over was a "tax reduction" scheme.

From Rydal Mount to Grasmere, we walked the 'coffin route,' the path used to transport coffins from Ambleside to Grasmere for burial since there was no consecrated church ground in Ambleside.  Also, the main road between the two towns was off-limit.

Picturesque sheep taking it easy  

Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's earlier home

The following photo is of one of 200 some-odd Herdwick sheep that were painted by local organizations and distributed around the Lake District, for charity.  Note the headphones instead of horns.  "All I hear is Radio Baa Baa, we will rock ewe."