WCP238

[1]

Ambleside

Sunday July 23rd. [18923]¹

My dear Violet²

It was so wet at Keswick that instead of going up into the mountains of Borrowdale as we had intended we came over here on Thursday & have had two fine days, but today is wet again. It is most difficult to make arrangements on account of the weather, but we want to go for a few days to a place about 10 miles from here close under some of the highest mountains, and then to Patterdale at the head of Ullswater, for a few days or a week, then to Settle where you can come to us as it is [2] much nearer than here & a very interesting mountainous country, but I will write to you again a day or two before your holidays begin telling you what trains to come by &c.

On Friday we had a fine walk, first to a waterfall which was very pretty, then up a small mountain over 1500 feet high, from the top of which we had a splendid view of the whole of Lake Windermere to the south & almost U all the mountains to the north and north-west: Then down into a fine valley & round the mountain home. It took us from 10am to 6pm. [3] Yesterday it was a fine breezy day & ^we went by steamer to Bowness about 8 miles down Windermere which gave us a fine view of the Mountains with a lake foreground. We walked up a hill about 400 feet to call on old Mrs Prett (Mrs Benson’s mother). She is very old, 84, and feeble, but after a little while remembered us & our garden at Nutwood³ & the forget-me-nots Ma⁴ gave her, and the Shark’s teeth Will⁵ gave her! She has one of the most lovely places I have ever seen — a beautiful undulating small park with clumps of trees & rocks, all natural, and the most splendid views of the lakes and mountains beyond. Fine [4] glacial-drift soil in which any thing will grow, & a little spring & stream just below the house, — a perfectly ideal place. The Bensons live at Coniston 7 miles off, & just as we got back to Ambleside we encountered on landing the two youngest Miss Bensons & the two Vassals (who are visiting them). They had all been to a regatta at Bowness & had walked from Coniston to Ambleside about 8 miles from their house, & were then walking back! A letter addressed Post Office, Ambleside, will reach us for the next few days — say till Friday morning — after that, Post Office, Patterdale, Penrith. We shall have to stay somewhere, a night or two on the way back. I think of Matlock.

Your affectionate Papa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]