Surprised by Tennyson

June 13th

Today, I decided to visit the Castlerigg Stone Circle before diving into authors. Turns out, the authors around here also sought out beauty, so it was a win/win! The stones are said to have been erected in 3200 BC. I have felt complete peace at each of the stone circles, and this one was no different. They sit atop a hill with an incredible view of pasture land, valleys, and mountains. Out of the three I have visited, this was medium size. The internet says it's 107 feet at its widest. It was quite busy (these are the most visited sacred stones in all of Cumbria), but the landscape allowed me to stay longer. Crowds harsh my mellow ;)

Past me really took care of present me. I was in the last two months of school and locked in! I did all the research, read all the books/poems, watched documentaries, booked tickets and B&Bs, and rented the car. So, now, I just choose what's near me at the time and what feels right, and I take off! It's all a surprise (even though I'm the one who planned it) Ha!

Mirehouse surprised the hell out of me! This was one of my favorite surprises because there was a HUGE Tennyson connection here. "The Lady of Shalot" was my absolute favorite poem I studied in college (Tess of the D'Urbervilles was my favorite novel). I went for Wordsworth and Southey (with the assumption that Coleridge must have visited with them at some point). Goodness, did I stumble upon some gems!

Mirehouse was built in 1666 (just realized that number. My trauma related to that number - other than growing up in the church - is a whole other post). It was built by the 8th Earl of Derby for his visits to his Cumbrian estates. John Spedding acquired it in 1802, and he had many famous literary friends. He was good friends with Alford Lord Tennyson and Edward FitzGerald, and many other authors visited: William Wordsworth (and I ASSUME Dorothy Wordsworth - they did everything together, but no one ever talks about her), Robert Southey, Thomas Carlyle, and John Constable. It has trails through pastures, trails in the woods, and trails by the water. There's a bee garden, poets' walk, maze, Victorian colonnade, and terraced gardens.

I did not explore everything. I stuck to the beauty of the landscape as a whole, poets walk, and terraced gardens. Just these three kept me occupied for hours. The pastures, trees, moss, flowers, mushrooms, poems, and clovers all captivated me.

I played in the terrace gardens for almost an hour. (I only know that because there was a clock tower there that made sure I knew) This site was the only place I've seen clovers. If you know me well, hunting for four-leaf clovers is my favorite. So, I sat in the sunshine searching for clovers for quite some time. Here's the area I was sitting in :) It's right by the main house, so I can almost be sure these great poets sat along these walls or on this grass. Swoon.

I really love traveling alone. I get to stop when I want. Play when I want. Send pebbles to my friends and family back home when I want. I, personally, think it's a win/win for all involved!

I was heading back to my car when I came across a rose garden, and it was beautiful. I always think of my Grandmother Sisson and her rose garden. It was circular, like this one, and she grew my birth rose, The Queen Elizabeth. (She grew others, but five-year-old me was only interested in MY roses :)

Upon further reflection, this garden only had two kinds of roses, and the plaque says they are The Lady of Shalott and Omar Khayyam roses. This is the garden dedicated to the deaths of Spedding's dear friends, FitzGerald and Tennyson. I burst into tears the second I read this. If I had a nickel for every time I have cried tears of joy or gratitude on this trip...

Then, it was off to the Cross Keys Inn for a chat with Rob, a pint, writing, and dinner! Rob was super sweet and accommodating, and the chicken, bacon, and leek pie was delicious!

Then I came home to Karen and Alfie (he's her dog who I've made friends with). She has gardens inside and out! The antiques and plants give this place such a homey, old century (not even sure if that's a thing, but it is in my head) vibe. The window view is when I got to my room and heard cows. Who knew! (These were taken around 8PM. It doesn't get dark here until about 10PM) And, I took a picture of the stairs because it's treacherous for me to go up and down them. I feel I've been doing PT this entire trip, and I don't regret a thing :)

Cheers!