Manuscript journal of a tour in the north of England in two notebooks:
7854/11/1
This notebook has apparently previously been used as a diary or commonplace book, as two pages at the beginning have been cut away and the first page continues an entry for 19 Aug; the journal itself begins on the second page. From the writer's brief reference to the railway in the first entry and the later clue that 19 August was a Sunday, it has been possible to date this journal to 1849. From descriptions of apparel the writer appears to be female, and is a keen sketcher. 'Dr L' [Lushington] is probably Dr Stephen Lushington (1782-1873) and 'Miss Lushington' one of his daughters; from the interest of the writer in local schools, this Miss Lushington may be Alice, who later founded a school with her sister Frances.
The journal begins on 16 Aug, describing an arrival by express at Leeds with 'Skye' [a dog] in a hamper and the later arrival of horses by the 'slow train'. The party continues on horseback to the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Bridge, travelling via Ottley, Ilkley and Wharfdale, and glimpsing Farnley Park ('Mr Faukes' ... where there is a famous collection of Turner's pictures'), Denton Park ('Sir W [sic] Ibbetson') and Ben Rhydding, where a second 'water cure establishment' is being built. [Farnley Hall was owned by Walter Ramsden Fawkes (d.1825) who started the collection of Turners, and Denton Hall was owned by Henry Carr Ibbetson (d.1825) and later by his son Charles Ibbetson (d.1839); the first Ben Rhydding 'hydropathic establishment' was opened in about 1844].
17 Aug: the party walks to the nearby '[Bolton] Abbey & Strid [Wood]'
18 Aug: Dr & Miss Lushington take a ride over difficult terrain, while the writer sketches 'the ruin' [Bolton Priory]
Sunday 19 Aug: the party attends Sunday service in 'the repaired part of the old ruin' [Bolton Priory], with a walk to a nearby valley after dinner
20 Aug: the party departs on horseback, leaving 'James' to travel by car to Shipton and train to Settle, where he is to find dinner and beds; the riders' journey takes them by way of Barden Tower, Burnsall, the Tenants' Arms at Kilnsey, Mallam Tarn and Gordale Rocks to Settle, and the writer has difficulties with her horse Blossom's shoe and her hat, accepting Dr Lushington's spare pocket handkerchief as substitute head gear. The party's overnight accommodation is at the Golden Lion, Settle, and the writer comments on the 'very fine appearance' of Yorkshire men in general, many of whom are red haired
21 Aug: the party finds nothing of interest in Settle apart from an old house called 'Preston Folly' (inhabited by one Jane Ingham) and after breakfast departs for the Traveller's Rest at Gearstones by way of the course of the river Ribble; from thence they travel to The Black Bull in Sedburgh by way of Dent Dale and the writer comments on the dress and broad accents of local men and women encountered on the way
22 Aug: the party spends the morning writing and washing clothes (apart from Miss L [Lushington] who makes an expedition to find prints of Sedburgh or its 'special manufactures') and visiting the church, and the writer notes with interest the privileges and schooling given to Sedburgh boys who attend Grammar School free; after dinner the party goes for a 'ramble', during which Miss L [Lushington] suffers an injury to her ankle while retrieving Dr L's [Lushington] walking stick
23 Aug: the party departs after breakfast for a route along the river Lune, travelling by way of Greyrigg Chapel Houses, Scalthwaiterigg Gate, Staveley and Troutbeck Dale to Patterdale; the writer comments on a little school kept by an old lady with 'nice healthy' pupils encountered on the way to Staveley
24 Aug: the party walks around Ullswater in wet and windy weather, and later stroll towards Kirkstone
25 Aug: the party leaves their inn (which boasts a tame eagle chained to a rock) bound for Keswick, the writer finding it 'grievous' to pass such scenery in pouring rain; she describes at length anxious moments in crossing a stream turned to a torrent with reluctant horses and [their dog] 'Skye', assisted providentially by a passing boy
[entry continued in the second notebook, 7854/11/2]
7854/11/2
The covers of this notebook are printed with pictures of grebes [front] and gulls [back].
25 Aug contd: the writer describes the local dry stone walls on the way into Keswick, and the party takes an evening walk to Derwent Water
26 Aug: the writer describes Keswick (where the party has decided to stay for several days, at The Royal Oak) and that morning's service at the 'new' church, and mentions the newly built 'St John's Schoolroom' and Keswick Library; the party later walks to the 'old' church past Southey's house
Monday 27 Aug: a day of 'hopeless rain' during the morning of which the party amuses itself by watching the arrivals and departures of the Skiddaw and Helvellyn coaches, which the writer describes at length; in the afternoon the writer and Miss Lushington explore the town (where they buy hoods and prints of the Lakes, and find examples of the local specialities of pencils and 'striped linsey') and later the party rides along Derwent Water, passing Lodore Falls
Tuesday 28 Aug: in better weather the writer sketches, and after lunch the party rides to Borrodale and the Bowder Stone (where Miss Lushington and 'Skye' climb the ladder and the writer makes another sketch), returning by Grange bridge and Portinscale
Wednesday 29 Aug: the party rides to Buttermere and Crummock Water (where the writer is guided to a 'capital spot' for sketching by a fisherman) by way of Newlands and Honister Crag; the party returns to Keswick by way of the Vale of Lorton, Whinlatter Fell (from which they can see Cockermouth and the Solway Firth) and Portinscale, with views of Bassenthwaite en route
Thursday [30 Aug]: the party departs for Grasmere, 'James' in the 'omnibus' with the luggage overtaking them; after dinner at Brown's Hotel the party is rowed on the lake by a Mr Wilson, 'a Lincolnshire clergyman', and afterwards walks to the Wishing Gate before returning to their lodgings with a Mr Green
Friday 31 Aug: after taking a swift look at the local school (whose master is their coachman's nephew), the party rides to Windermere by way of Rydal Water and the home of Dr Arnold (master of Rugby School) near Ambleside; during their return a passing traveller mistakes Dr Lushington for someone he knows, and in the evening the writer almost loses her paint brush in the lake, recovering it by using a whip lent by a passing lady
Saturday 1 Sep: before breakfast, the party rides to a hill overlooking Rydal Water (where the writer sketches), afterwards visiting Wordsworth's grave and the church; later (after a delay caused by the loss of Dr Lushington's overcoat, mistakenly taken by Mr Wilson to Ambleside and later recovered by 'James'), the party departs Grasmere for the Waterhead Hotel at Coniston, travelling by way of Elterwater, 'Scarth' Bridge [possibly Skelwith Bridge] (where there is 'one of the prettiest schools ... in one of the prettiest locations') and Church Coniston
Sunday 2 Sep: the party attends church and after lunch takes a long walk to Coniston Water
Monday 3 Sep: the party decides to stay at Coniston rather than make their intended departure to Liverpool and rides around Coniston Water; after dinner they wash 'Skye' in the lake and take a walk towards the copper mines
Tuesday 4 Sep: the party sets out for Kendal, travelling by way of Ferrybridge, Windermere and the steam ferry; they have 'grievous difficulty' finding Kendal Station (where 'James' is to meet them and take the horses to Lancaster en route the next day for London) but eventually 'Skye' is 'imprisoned in her hamper' and the party departs in the express for Liverpool, travelling via Lancaster, Wigan and Warrington Junction; at Liverpool they breakfast at the Adelphi Hotel, explore the city (which they are 'by no means taken with', the writer describing the inhabitants as 'dirty and ragged [and] rough in their manners to a melancholy degree, & the children were particularly rude & disagreeable') and take the Birkenhead steamer across the Mersey to board the train; during a two hour stop at Chester they visit the cathedral before continuing to Conway to disembark for a drive to Llandudno
The journal stops rather abruptly in the middle of a description of the view from the Great Orme's Head