CROW PAEK. 



CROW PARK. 109 



III. Crow Park is the spot best known to fire- 

 side travellers by tlie repeated mention of it in 

 Gray's Letters. It lies between the 

 town and the western end of the lake, 

 and is therefore close at hand, to be enjoyed in any 

 odd half-hour. Gray went there the last thing 1 at 

 night, and the first in the morning. He saw " the 

 solemn colouring of night draw on, the last gleam 

 of sunshine fading away on the hill tops, the deep 

 serene of the waters, and the long shadows of the 

 mountains thrown across them, till they nearly 

 touched the hithermost shore. At a distance were 

 heard the murmurs of many waterfalls, not audible 

 in the day-time." At that day, 1769, there were 

 large roots remaining of the old oaks which once 

 formed a glade here, — a noble approach to the 

 lake : but the place was, in Gray's eyes, " a rough 

 pasture," while affording the best point of view for 

 the sketch of the lake. In regard to the nearer 

 objects of the landscape, Gray preferred the gentle 

 eminence of Crow Park to Cockshot Hill, as he 

 preferred Cockshot to Castle Head. After Gray's 

 time, Crow Park was used as a race-course, and was 

 the scene of Cumberland games, and the starting- 

 point of the boats at the annual regatta. The steward 

 of the Derwentwater estates built his pretty residence 

 there, a few years ago, and the wildness of the spot 

 has disappeared. The first green eminence on the 

 right, as the lake-road leaves Keswick, is Crow Park. 

 Gray saw Cockshot " covered with young trees, 

 both sown and planted," and all thriving wonder- 

 fully. These young trees are now 

 large oaks and spreading beeches. The 

 stranger cannot miss the stile, on the left of the 



