Lake District Trip (1957)

THE first of the school parties met Mr. Banton and Mr. Ridge at Watford Junction at 8.30 a.m., their destination Windermere. Few of us had been hiking before and therefore we didn't know what to expect. Weighed down by our rucksacks, we climbed into first class carriages and then into our reserved compartments. We changed trains at Crewe where we caught a local train for the rest of the journey which lasted altogether six hours.

On arrival at Windermere we had lunch and then walked to Cockshott Point where we caught the ferry across the lake. We continued to Esthwaite Lodge, near Hawkshead, with tired and aching feet.

The next day we met our first "molehill", called Coniston Old Man, 2,635 ft. It was strenuous work but it was worth the labour when one saw the view from the top. At one's feet stood the Lake District for miles on either side.

Thursday was good fun as Greenhalgh was leading and we were lost after the first two miles or so, but we all arrived safely at Eskdale Hostel thanks to the intervention of the masters. We had our first "shower" of rain on Friday, but it was good fun wading through the puddles and gradually becoming thoroughly wet en route for High Close Hostel.

Sargeant-Man, 2,400 ft., was no trouble to us "veterans" although it was rather hot going up, despite the fact that there was snow on the ground.

In pouring rain we passed through Grasmere, where Wordsworth is buried. The weather had made the descent of the mountain sides slippery and dangerous.

What a miserable last day it was. All it did was pour with rain and we had to wait three hours at Windermere for the return train.

Despite the occasional bad weather, I think we all had a good time and we should like to thank the masters very much for taking us.

B. MADDAMS, IV