WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

                                      A Poet Laureate 

     While in England’s Lake District we learned about several English authors who once lived in the area. It was a very warm, very humid day when we took off to learn more about William Wordsworth.

     Rydal Mount sits on a hilltop among 4 ½ acres, so it was a hike up a pretty steep cobblestone street. As one can imagine the view was quite beautiful. We learned William Wordsworth lived in several homes before moving to Rydal Mount in 1813 at the age of 43,. He did not own this home because a Mr. Fleming would not sell. However, it was his home for 37 years and his rent of only 35 pounds a year never changed.

    Few people realize Wordsworth was quite a landscape gardener and actually landscaped many homes in the area, and the grounds at Rydal Mount have remained pretty much as he designed them. The landscaping blended beautifully with the natural landscape of the surrounding fells. The original two story house, built in 1574, was added on to in 1750. Having lost two children at their previous home, Wordsworth and his wife, Mary Hutchinson, were ready for a change of scenery when   they    moved to this lovely property. Three other children age 10, 9, and 3 also moved with them. In 1969 a great granddaughter was able to purchase Rydal Mount, and it now remains a family home with members of the family staying there periodically.

     Wordsworth was very close to his sister, Dorothy. She lived with his family for many years.  In those days single women remained with the family until they married and did not live alone. 

    William Wordsworth died at Rydal Mount in 1850.

    After touring the home and spending some time among the lovely landscaping we headed down hill to Dove Cottage. Again we picked up a local docent who told us, “In 1799 Wordsworth lived at Dove Cottage and this is where he brought his bride in 1802. They remained here until 1808 when the family and many visitors simply outgrew the house.”

     Dove Cottage, built in 1600, was originally a pub. The paneling was very dark—to hide the smoke and alcohol stains. Wordsworth preferred a simple lifestyle. She pointed out that he used a calling card basket on the entry table instead of the traditional silver tray.

The floors of large slate blocks showed the wear of centuries of walking. The rooms of the cottage were very small. In the kitchen we were shown candle molds and told, “Houses used to be taxed on the number of windows they contained with seven windows being tax free. You can imagine that most rooms were pretty dark. Candles were made by melting either sheep or pig fat. Sometimes the candles were dipped, but that was a very slow, time consuming process, so more often molds were used where five candles could be made at one time by simply pouring the melted fat into the mold. It was a common practice to run a reed through a candle horizontally and then light both ends of the reed. This gave off the light of three candles and that is how the expression burning your candle at both ends originated.”  I love fun expression and origins---England is full of them.

At age 73 Wordsworth was appointed poet laureate to Queen Victoria. For this honor he received 60 guineas a year and a case of wine at Christmas.

Owned by the Wordsworth Trust, Dove Cottage has been preserved and is open to the public.

MORE LANDMARK SYNOPSES

                     Landmark Synopses continued

Buckingham Palace, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, may be London’s most famous landmark. King George III later bought the house for himself and Queen Charlotte. In 1820 King George IV commissioned John Nash to build a state palace, much of which remains today.  In 1837 Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live in the palace. It has been the London home of the Royal Family ever since. The British flag always flies, but the royal flag flies only when the Queen is in residence. August to October is the only time one can view the state rooms with their many works of fine art. The changing of the guard, including 40 men and three officers, is a colorful display of pageantry by the Queen's personal guards. Gardens on each side of the traffic circle directly in front of the Palace are in the shape of a crown.

Admiralty Arch is the entrance to the mall leading to Buckingham Palace. It has three arches; the center one is for royalty only. The mall road is red macadam to resemble a red carpet and is the road one always sees on TV. On the left of the mall is a park; on the right behind trees are several buildings including Clarence House, home of the Queen Mother.

       Leicester Square was a popular place to live when it was laid out in 1670. A number of music halls were established here in Victorian times and the area now is the heart of the West End entertainment district. The legendary theater district is over a century old.

       Trafalgar Square conceived by John Nash was constructed in the 1830s to commemorate Admiral Lord Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar. The Corinthian column, built in 1842, stands 170 feet tall and is capped by a statue of Lord Nelson. The square is teeming with pigeons and is the site of public gatherings and celebrations. Victoria Gate Arch leads to Trafalgar Square.

       Victoria Station is the hub for fast, comfortable trains.

       #10 Downing Street is the home of the Prime Minister, made famous by Winston Churchill. However, Prime Minister Tony Blair moved into #11.

        St. Paul’s Cathedral is the fifth cathedral built on this site. Sir Christopher Wren designed it after the great fire of London in 1666 destroyed its predecessor. Wren’s son put the last stone in place in 1708. It has been the scene of many historic and national events and has become a symbol of endurance especially during WWII when many buildings covering 32 acres around it were bombed and destroyed. The nave, transepts, and choir are built in the shape of a cross, as was common in medieval cathedrals, but the majestic interior reflects a Baroque influence. Christopher Wren designed 52 churches, but St Paul’s is his master work. By 1939 only 33 of Wren’s churches still existed as 17 were destroyed in bombings.   

        Tower of London, built by King William in 1078, after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 has been a fortress, prison, treasury, and palace. It is located just inside the ancient Roman area and now offers several attractions; perhaps the most visited one is the Jewel House where the Crown Jewels are on display.

        The Tower Bridge completed in 1894 is a piece of unique Victorian engineering that has become an international symbol of London. Its pinnacled towers linking catwalks support the mechanisms for raising the road so large ships can pass through. The walkways which offer spectacular views are now closed to the public.         

The Monument is a Doric column, designed by Christopher Wren, commemorating the Great Fire of London in September 1666. At 202 feet it is the tallest isolated stone column in the world. It is alleged that the fire started exactly 202 feet away on Pudding Lane. If one wants to feel like a fly on a corkscrew he can climb the 311 steps to the top for a spectacular view of London.     

London Bridge is near where the Romans crossed the Thames. A wooden bridge was used for 700 years, and the picturesque London Bridge was used 100 years until it was replaced with a modern day bridge designed to carry and support modern traffic.

MORE LONDON INFO

                              London Info continued

      If you are looking for fish and chips in London, good luck these days. The once popular item now is very hard to find in many of London’s 5000 pubs. On my first trip to London this meal was easy to find and at that time we even had to try the bitters that came so highly recommended. The food was great but the bitters can stay on the shelf. On a later visit it was a little harder to find the old stand by and by the turn of the century we wandered around a great deal, but finally did find a pub in Soho that served fish and chips. Even the information center couldn’t direct us to a pub---we were on our own!

The Hard Rock Café originated in London in the 1970s and is located on Piccadilly.

A coat of arms outside a shop indicates that a royal member shops there.

      The English seldom drink coffee and many say it is rarely drinkable. Although tea is the drink of Britain it is not drunk with or after a meal. Tea time is generally 11AM and 4PM.  Tea is also a crisis drink; any time one has a problem it is talked about over tea. Tea drinking is pretty much the center of the family.

     High Tea in the late afternoon is an event in itself. It also is a meal which can include finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and sweets with jams and jellies, and or clotted cream. There are a couple of rules governing the taking of high tea, namely: take small sips, small bites, and different than regular tea time---small talk, no big subjects.

LANDMARK SYNOPSES

       Harrods the huge department store covers a full city block. It would take days to amble through all its departments. A local told me, “In 1980 escalators were installed in the store, but people were reluctant to use them so the store offered a bit of brandy before stepping on them. It didn’t take long for people to get used to riding the escalators and of course now there is no brandy!” (I wonder when the escalators were installed in the underground)

      Westminster Abby, an architectural masterpiece of the 13-16^th centuries, is a magnificent medieval church. It is the corner stone of the monarchy and has been the burial ground for England’s monarchy since 1066. Monarchs have been crowned here for over 700 years. It was interesting to see who was buried in the church and to see all the ornate tombs and statuary.  The 1700s coronation chair was on display. It certainly looked uncomfortable.

      Every hour on the hour one minute of silence is observed in the Abby for meditation and prayer. England’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in the Abby. I stood over Winston Churchill and read the inscription on the unknown tomb. It was a moving moment.

     It is worth finding a local docent who can impart lots of information and history.

      The  neo-gothic House of Parliament replaced the original structure after it burned in 1834.  It is the seat of the two houses of government: the Lords and Commons. The building stretches 940 feet along the river.

      Big Ben is the largest clock in England. The four faced clock was hung in 1858 and chimes on the hour; four smaller clocks chime every quarter hour. Big Ben’s 13 ½ ton bell is housed in its own tower and is not part of the Parliament building as is commonly believed.

      Piccadilly Circus is not a circus but a traffic circle, which the Europeans call a round-about.  Piccadilly acts as the center of a wheel with seven spokes all of which are main arteries. It is a popular place for people to gather on the steps under the statue of Eros, the Greek god of love. Erected in 1892, the statue is a memorial to the Victorian philanthropist the Earl of Shaftesbury.

     More London landmarks next time.

LONDON INFO for the VISITOR

                                   Helpful London Info

     I’ve made several trips to England and have posted numerous posts previously in this blog. For the month of January I’m going to concentrate the whole month on England with things not yet covered and I’m sure when the month is done I’ll still have more stories to tell.

      London is perhaps one of the most exciting, historic, traditional, vibrant and artistic cities in the world. Centuries of history, timeless traditions, and culture with its familiar landmarks draws many visitors to London. Once the capitol of a world empire, London has harmony, elegance, and royal magnificence. There are exciting visions around every corner. Central London, the pulse and heart of the city, is where most well known tourist sites are located. Museums, theaters, large shops, and parks are north of the Thames. Hundreds of years-old buildings sit beside stunning modern ones. Pageantry and centuries old ceremonies mix with modern street culture.

      Most visits to London include or center around the West End, an area that incorporates the elegance of Mayfair, the crowded shopping around Oxford Street, the tourist glitter of Piccadilly Circus (which is not a circus), the exotic labyrinth of Soho, chic rehabilitated Covent Gardens and half price theater tickets at Leicester (pronounced Lester) Square, Regular theater ticket offices open at 10 AM.

       Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square are in the middle of the West End. Southwest lies Chelsea and Kensington with its posh shops and expensive restaurants. The political and royal part of the city, Westminster, with Buckingham Palace and Parliament, is southeast. Northeast is the area for art galleries, book stores, some colleges and the fabulous British Museum.

      Soho is a chaotic jumble of the exotic to the tacky. The porno palaces are mingled among good restaurants and wonderful shops.  It’s just sort of an eclectic hodge podge.

       The Thames River, originating from a spring in the heart of England, winds east to the North Sea while running several miles through London.

        London is both easy and frustrating to walk.  Streets frequently change names, sometimes four or five times. The numbers often are not consistent as #2 might be across the street from #30, and you really have to look for street signs that are often on the corner of a building but often not conspicuous. In addition a name may refer to a street, square, villa, or row in different parts of the city. All this can be confusing for a stranger; a good map is helpful and feel free to ask directions or questions from storekeepers or people on the street.

       Good transportation systems make getting around London and its environs easy. The system combines three airports, eight train stations, and lots of buses. Taxis are numerous and reasonable. The underground (tube, subway, take your choice of terminology) is quick, efficient, and reasonable. It’s easy to follow and one quickly can learn his way around the system. However, one must climb and descend many stairs in and out of the system. Once inside, escalators move you to different levels. Buses are cheaper than the tube, cover most of the city but are obviously slower. The famous red double-decker bus is a local bus. The single buses run express. Do be very careful crossing the street—look right before stepping off the curb!

       London was once a one square mile city within ancient walls. The walls, removed in the 1600s, revealed a dreary, decayed relic of a city with narrow streets and alleyways. Today the 600 square mile giant city has a population of seven million. Quite a shopping area exists underground at the major tube stations.

     Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace takes place at 11AM but only on even days.

More London Info tomorrow.