102 VALE OF ST. JOHN. 



of his daughters ; and now he and his son-in-law 

 lie buried there together. Skiddaw is here the 

 monarch of the scene. That mountain mass occu- 

 pies the north of the view. Bassenthwaite Lake 

 peeps from behind it : then the plain of the Der- 

 went stretches out to the lake of that name ; and 

 at the southern end the Borrowdale mountains are 

 grouped with wonderful effect, — Castle Crag occu- 

 pying the most conspicuous place. On the eastern 

 side, to the left of the spectator, Wallabarrow Crag- 

 rears its crest, and unfolds its woods below ; while 

 the opposite side of the lake is guarded by Cat 

 Bells and other mountains, bare and pointed, and 

 possessing a character of their own. A steep 

 winding-road descends into the valley ; and at the 

 foot of the hill lies Keswick. 



If the traveller should prefer the detour through 

 the Vale of St. John, he has again a choice of roads 

 at the northern end. He may cross the bridge, the 

 third in the Yale, which will lead him to St. John's 

 Chapel. The situation of this little church is very 

 striking, commanding a hue view to the north and 

 west. From the road in front of the church the tra- 

 veller may find a field-path which will shorten his 

 walk to Keswick very considerably. It will take him 

 to the Druid's Temple, described in the section de- 

 voted to the ascent to Saddleback. Or, by return- 

 ing the way he has come as far as the farmhouses 

 he must have noticed about half-way between the 

 bridge and the chapel, he will find another field- 

 path which will lead him into the high road rather 

 more than a mile nearer Keswick than if he had 

 pursued the main road through the vale, lie may 



