58 THE RUSHBEAEING. 



and the Brathay valley, with its pretty little church 

 on its knoll, opens beautifully, as seen from the 

 toll-bar. From Waterhead to Ambleside, there are 

 residences, humble or handsome, on either hand. 

 The road divides soon after leaving the lake. The 

 one to the left is the new road, recently made in 

 order to avoid the hill between this point and 

 Ambleside. The two join again just before entering 

 the town. The traveller can hardly be wrong in 

 his choice of an inn, as all three are comfortable 

 and well served. At present there are no baths in 

 the place ; — a singular deficiency where there is 

 so much of company on the one hand, and of water 

 on the other. The inconvenience is, however, a 

 subject of serious complaint ; and it is to be hoped 

 that another season will not arrive without a pro- 

 vision of this needful refreshment for the dusty 

 and tired traveller, — to say nothing of the residents, 

 who must desire it for purposes of health as well 

 as enjoyment. 



Ambleside and Grasmere still keep up the old 

 custom of the Rushbearing. It is a memorial of 

 the time when churches were regularly 

 BTOHBBAKiNG. strcwu wlth rushcs. At each of these 

 places on one Saturday in July, the 

 children of the place go in procession to the church, 

 each carrying a garland, or other device, made of 

 rnshes. They leave them there for the Sunday, 

 and the next day the children go again in pro- 

 cession to remove them. 



WALKS ABOUT AMBLESIDE. 

 Strangers who make Ambleside their head- 

 quarters inquire in the first place, what walks 



