Grasmere

Grasmere
View from Loughrigg Terrace
Location	Lake District, Cumbria
Coordinates	54°27′N 3°01′W / 54.45°N 3.017°W / 54.45; -3.017Coordinates: 54°27′N 3°01′W / 54.45°N 3.017°W / 54.45; -3.017
Primary  inflows	River Rothay
Primary  outflows	River Rothay
Basin  countries	England
Max. length	1.24 km
Max. width	622 metres
Surface area	0.62km2
Max. depth	23 metres (75 ft)
Shore  length1	4.11 km
Surface  elevation	61 metres
Islands	1
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Grasmere is a village in central Cumbria, England. Before 1974 it lay within the county of Westmorland, it is also the name of the adjacent lake. Grasmere's position in the centre of the English Lake District, as well as its connections with the Lake Poets, has made it popular as a tourist destination.^{[citation needed]} The poet William Wordsworth, who lived in Grasmere for fourteen years, described it as "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found".^[1]

Geography

The village is overlooked by the small rocky hill of Helm Crag, popularly known as The Lion and the Lamb or the Old Lady at the Piano, depending on which side you view it from. These names are derived from the shape of rock formations on its summit.^[2]

Grasmere Village

Grasmere village and lake as seen from the fell of Stone Arthur

A number of very good fell runs begin only minutes from the centre of the village including ascents up Helm Crag or a longer route up to Fairfield. The village is also visited on the route of Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk.^[3]

Grasmere Village

The A591 connects Grasmere northwards over Dunmail Raise to the Vale of Keswick and southwards to Ambleside. Otherwise Grasmere is entirely surrounded by high ground. To the west, a long ridge comes down from High Raise and contains the lesser heights of Blea Rigg and Silver How. To the east, Grasmere is bordered by the western ridge of the Fairfield horseshoe.

Communal events

Rushbearing

Grasmere's famous Rushbearing Ceremony has ancient origins. The present day ceremony is an annual event which features a procession through the village with bearings made from rushes and flowers. In this procession there are also six Maids of Honour, a brass band, the church choir, and anyone who wishes to join in by carrying their own decorated rushbearing.

St Oswald's Church, decorated for the Rushbearing Day

Grasmere Sports

The annual Grasmere Sports take place in August and were first held in 1852. This is the main event in the village's calendar and one of the most popular traditional events in the Lake District. Participants compete in a variety of sports, including Cumberland Wrestling, fell running and hound trails (also known as drag hunting).^[4]

Dove Cottage

Government

The former civil parish was for a time governed by an urban district council before becoming part of the Lakes UDC in 1934. The village is now part of Lakes parish. Grasmere is currently represented by a Liberal Democrat politician in both the district council and county council, as well as at Westminster.^[5][6][7] Grasmere has experienced population decline since the 1960s.^[8]

Notable persons

• William Wordsworth lived in Dove Cottage, in the hamlet of Townend, on the outskirts of Grasmere, from 1799. He occasionally used to breakfast with Sir Walter Scott at The Swan, a 17th century coaching inn that is still in use, just outside of the village on the A591 main road. In his poem "The Waggoner", Wordsworth asks "Who does not know the famous Swan?", a line which is quoted on the Swan's pub sign to this day. In 1808 he sold Dove Cottage to his friend Thomas de Quincey and moved to a larger house in the village, Allan Bank, where he lived until he moved to Rydal Mount, Ambleside, in 1813. He is buried in the churchyard of St. Oswald's Church, Grasmere, alongside his wife, Mary and their family. His sister, Dorothy is also buried alongside him.^[9]
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge also spent time at Dove Cottage and is said to have muttered stanzas from his poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" whilst walking across the fells to Grasmere.^[10]
• Fred Yates the painter lived at "Cote How" near Grasmere from 1900 until 1906. During this period he painted the future United States president Woodrow Wilson and John Haden Badley.
• John Haden Badley, the progressive educationalist and author who founded Bedales School, often spent time with his sisters the Misses Badley at their home "Winterseeds" in Grasmere in the first half of the 20th century.
• Sarah Nelson was the original maker of the famous Grasmere Gingerbread, made to a secret recipe kept within the family to this day. The shop remains in the former village school, adjacent to St Oswald's Church.^[11]
• Sting and his wife Trudie Styler have a house in the area.
• World-renowned story-teller Taffy Thomas has lived in the village for many years having moved from his native Somerset.^[12]

See also

• Grasmere, British Columbia

References

External links

• Grasmere.com
• Photographs & Images of Grasmere
• Tourist attractions in Grasmere
• Illustrated guide to Grasmere
• Lakestay - Grasmere Walk
• South Lakeland - Ward Profiles