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THE ADVERTISER, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA - TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT, May 2, 1998 Water World Water and mountains form the beauty of the Lake District but KARIN KEAYS finds that art in a forest brings added charm. I froze, hardly daring to breather lest the image before me should vanish into the forest's still air. Emerging from the brook, her lithe body stood proudly in all its perfection, long arms raised high over head, hands holding the hollow log from which cascaded sparkling water - the gift to mankind from the Celtic Water maiden. It was Ban an t-ishka, a sculpture by Alannah Robins, one of more than 80 original works of art scattered through Grizedale Forest in the southern fells of England's Lake District. A place of romance in scenery and words - the poetry of William Wordsworth, born in the Lake District, whose vivid descriptions of the ethereal beauty of its waters, woods. A place of romance in scenery and words - the poetry of William Wordsworth, born in the Lake District, whose vivid descriptions of the ethereal beauty of its waters, woods and mountains attracted tourists in the early 19th Century. And they still come, although nestled among all this, Grizedale seemed to be the region's best kept secret... Only a 15-minute drive from Grizedale, the tourist honeypots of Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside overlook the mirrored surface of Lake Windermere, their streets lined with picture postcard cottages offering bed and breakfast. Antique stores, restaurants, boutiques and English china shops stand shoulder-to-shoulder, with gift shops crammed with Peter Rabbit merchandise. Not only do the words of Wordsworth and others come from here; this also is Beatrix Potter country. Her cottage, Hill Top, at Near Sawrey, is a mecca for tourists. The tiny village of Hawkshead sits at the northern edge of Grizedale and is owned by the National Trust. Cars are not permitted in the village; however "pay and display" car parks are provided on the outskirts. There is the Hawkshead Grammar School, attended by the young Wordsworth from 1779 to 1787, with his name carved on a desk; a house - Ann Tyson's Cottage - in which he had lodgings; and the picturesque village church set at the base of a small hill, its gentle green slopes dotted with ancient gravestones. There's more of Wordsworth all around: Cockermouth, where he was born, and Grasmere, where he lived, died and lies at rest in the Grasmere churchyard with his wife Mary, sister Dorothy and daughter Dora. A leisurely stroll through the narrow, cobbled streets of Hawkshead brought us to the Red Lion. It was a perfect spot to relax and reflect over a pint of Boddington's on the unique beauty of a place where art and nature and inextricably entwined. Fast facts: Grizedale and the Lake District can be reached from Manchester. Lauda Air flies to Manchester via Vienna. DriveAway Holidays has just released a 20-page brochure listing fares and costs for various car rentals in Britain and Europe as well as accommodation from $76 in London; phone 132 336 or see travel agents. The Grizedale Society may be contacted on 0011 44 1229 860291.
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