by As a visitor to the Lake District, you’d be forgiven for imagining that the attractions of the daffodil rulers are the Grasmere gingerbread, Herdy. and the brand), mountain watercolors and lake steams. These ties are so ingrained with the region that its own commercial image is now suffering.
Millions of tourists follow the same routes every year, seeking waterside and overlook points, and bagging famous peaks. Queues at Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread stretch around the home bakery and past Wordsworth’s grave. Wainwright’s backs become polished with the number of feet; the roads into Marmalade national park with holiday traffic. There is even speculation that the now polluted Windermere will be closed this summer.
Originally from Cumbria, I can confirm that the horror of its landscapes and the sublimity of its image are Romantic. Despite the crowding and misunderstanding of a radical artistic vision at first, the version of the Lakes sought by tourists was not necessarily bad or boring. But the county has more to offer than the usual scenic transport, the same old beauty spots, and full-blown tea rooms. It’s not just a field of recreation and leisure that requires weekend warrior uniforms and harps. For those willing to think outside the trinkets box, there are lesser known and more interesting alternatives; much to do with the hidden history of the region and its contemporary working practices.
The county has great contemporary art, gastronomy and microbrewing scenes, with hundreds of artisan producers. Cumbria has the second highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants outside of London – a sign of well-heeled visitors and wealthy second-home owners. However, they are not all elitist and unaffordable. Heft, in High Newton, maintains its off-booking bar, serving Michelin-rated bar snacks, great wine at a reasonable price, and great local craft beers – such as those made by Fell, Gan Yam and Bowness Bay. The clue is in the name: hefting is a traditional way of managing grazing animals on unbounded common land.
Similarly, recognizing that pubs are under serious threat from big breweries and are vital to the social infrastructure of small rural communities, a number of cooperatives have bought in, including The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket and The Mardale Inn in Bampton (Dublin village). my childhood, where parts of the cult film Withnail and myself were shot). These co-op pubs are obviously in parts of the county less affected by mass tourism, where the prices have not yet been commanded by big business and they haven’t de-identified them – although the Lowther valley and Caldbeck meadow so beautiful, with big mountains and quiet lakes. nearby. The pubs proudly maintain an authentic local character. If the center of the county is choked and held hostage by cliche, the secret treasures are often in its perimeter.
The Lakes has more to offer than the usual rambling carrier, the same old beauty spots, and bustling tea rooms.
The eagles of prey at the reforested Foulshaw Moss are in the south seasonally and are home to one of Britain’s most vibrant towns: Ulverston. Also a clue in the name: “wolf town”. Imagine a very independent, more rustic and less hipster-populated Hebden Bridge, and, from its hilltop monument, a vast view across the sea to Wales. Ulverston has a full festival programme, which runs from March to November and celebrates ceramics, printmaking, food and drink, comedy, music, lanterns, Dickens, pretty much everything. It is, quite literally, one of the most colorful towns in the country, with row upon row of rainbow painted houses and a few chain stores. Ulverston is also the birthplace of the Quaker movement; maybe this is why he doesn’t shout about himself.
On the way to lush, tree-lined Coniston Water is another original, contemporary project: The Farmers Arms in Lowick Green. This venue is a hotbed of restoration, run by the avant garde powerhouse, Grizedale Arts. It is a combination of pub and cafe, events and international exchange centre, and maker workshops. The building has been eclectically restored by artists and resembles a functioning Kettle Yard. The Farmers Arms runs courses in pottery, weaving, woodworking, gardening, cooking; He has an Honest Shop that sells the work of his resident makers and an adopted one-eyed Bengal cat named Bailey. It’s a great place for adults and children to get messy with clay, and try kimchi pizza, Carlin pea falafel, local venison burgers, and possibly the best chips in the north of England.
Cumbria’s west coast takes time to explore and is often overlooked by visitors, but the coastline is wild and stormy, lined with nature reserves, and its notable port towns, including the tall ships of Whitehaven, have much to offer. and gigs and performances. at the Florence Arts Center in Egremont. St Bees, Allonby and Silloth have beautiful beaches. Walkers can follow the Coast Path and Smugglers’ Way towards the Solway, taking in the ancient salt pans of the Canadian Cross, where salt has been collected for centuries, and the Roman Milefortlet 21, a designated world heritage site.
Cumbria has many unique architectural buildings; counter-stories of her homesickness. Near Elterwater is the last of Kurt Schwitters’ four Dada-inspired merzbauten (merz barns). Schwitters fled to Britain in 1940 and settled in the Lake District. He used collage as a means to create art out of chaos, choosing indigenous materials. The barn wall collage is now in the Hatton Gallery, and the barn has closed due to a change of ownership – but watch this space. Similarly, the Jetty Museum in Windermere is a stunning piece of modern architecture, as well as boating history, with an unrivaled view from the cafe window.
One of the most unusual churches in the country is in north Cumbria, in Wreay, near Carlisle. It was designed and built by Sarah Losh in the 1840s. Losh was one of the few female architects of the era, and the church is humble, biophilic against hierarchical, patriarchal religious doctrine. Inside and out, the building has carved pine cones, fantastic animals, flowers, bog oak sculptures, and just one small, almost irrelevant cross in a stained glass window. The Arts and Crafts movement has preceded the Arts and Crafts movement by nearly half a century, but Losh seems unaffected. Tip: stand in the chancel for as long as it takes for the motion sensor lights to turn off, then enjoy the relaxing natural lighting in the church.
East of the Lakes, in the true Edenvalley, is another under-served but highly significant structure. In farmland near Glassonby is one of Britain’s largest stone circles – Long Meg and her Daughters. The alignment of the winter solstice sun is on the outer red stone (Meg). According to the story, the stones were witches by a wizard-priest to dance on the sabbath. If they are counted twice exactly, the curse will be lifted. Due to the size of the site, taking kids around it twice with a scorecard is a great way to keep them occupied while enjoying a cuppa from a Thermos and the stunning ocher Pennines stadium and blue inner walls.
As with any place, there are the obvious and marketable, and there are trendier, cheaper ones. More than most places, the Lake District is known by a limited set of identifiers and destinations. But alternative Cumbria is worth a visit, with its new arts and paintings, its dynamic past and updated traditions.
Sarah Hall’s latest novel, Burntcoat, is published by Faber & Faber (£8.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
