HAWKS HEAD. 39 



believed to be one of the oldest dissenting places 



of worship in the kingdom. 



Fisom Hawkshead Hill a road, out to the north, leads over high 

 ground to the Brathay valley and Ambleside. The views from this 

 road are very fine ; and from it may be reached an eminence, sel- 

 dom visited, called Iron Keld, from which a glorious panorama of 

 mountains is to be seen. A pedestrian will be well rewarded for 

 the trouble of ascending this height. He must inquire his way at 

 one of the farmhouses he will pass. The road continues nearly due 

 north to Skelwith Fold, or may be left on the right for one which 

 joins the high road to Ambleside, or, further on, on the left, by a 

 lane which would conduct the traveller to Skelwith Bridge or 

 Colwith. 



After descending the hill in the direction of 

 Hawkshead, the tourist passes an old farmhouse 

 on the left. The mullioned window 

 OLD HALL. ^[liQii now belongs to its barn formerly 

 lighted an apartment where the Abbots of Furness 

 held their courts ; and in this house a few of the 

 monks from the Abbey lived, in order to perform 

 spiritual rites for the people of this district. 



At this house the road takes a turn to the right ; 

 and the traveller soon after finds himself in Hawks- 

 head. The parish church of Hawkshead 

 is ancient ; its appearance is venerable ; 

 and it stands, as a church should do, in full view of 

 the country round — of the valley in which Esthwaite 

 Water lies. Elizabeth Smith lies buried there ; and 

 there is a tablet to her memory in the churchyard. 

 At the ancient Grammar School of Hawkshead, 

 Wordsworth and his brother were educated. Pass- 

 ing through the neat little town, the road turns 

 to the left, to reach the northern end 

 HAWKSHEAD TO f Esthwalto Watcr, which is two miles 

 long, and half a mile broad ; — a quiet 

 sheet of water, with two promontories stretching 



HAWKSHEAD. 



