Manchester Language School - English Garden Tours

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ENGLISH GARDEN TOURS (EGT7 / LL2)

THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT - THE POETRY OF LANDSCAPE

Sunday 10 to Sunday 17 October 2010

image showing English Garden Tour Nature perfected through the work of William Wordsworth, John Ruskin and Beatrix Potter. Picturesque landscape, romantic poetry, philosophy and fables in a sublime setting.

The mild English climate prolongs garden visiting in this region into the autumn months. Nowhere is then more beautiful than the Lake District and no greater testimony to this than the literature it inspired. Gardens surround cottages and houses in the vernacular architecture concentrating natural beauty into contained spaces. These spaces however, are enclosed by panoramic ‘borrowed’ views that invite exploration into the wider landscape. Mountains, lakes and waterfalls are strong attractions and the scale of this scenery makes it easily accessible. Boundaries between gardens and landscape merge and become invisible.

image showing English Garden Tour Walking boots are a must for this tour and the stimulus of the landscape will transform conversation into poetry and photographs into works of art!

Bed and breakfast accommodation is provided by Nab Cottage, Rydal. Evening meals will be taken in local restaurants and pubs.

Day	Period	Activity
Sunday 10/10	ARRIVALS
	Evening	Welcome reception and introduction to the course at Moor Cottage. Dinner at Moor Cottage
Monday 11/10	GRASMERE & RYDAL
Introduction to the course. In the cradle of romantic poetry the tour starts at Dove Cottage where Wordsworth wrote his famous Prelude and lived the life of a “romantic”. This included a wild flower garden. Walking via the “Coffin Path” to Rydal Mount, his later home, reveals a garden of Zen-like contemplative emotion. The return walk takes in Rydal Water.
	Morning	Depart Manchester for Grasmere, Lake District.
	Afternoon	Visit Dove Cottage, home of William Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808 Walk to Rydal Mount, home of William Wordsworth from 1813 to 1850. Tea at Rydal Hall and visit to Thomas Mawson garden.
	Evening	Dinner at Tarn Cottage
Tuesday 12/10	DERWENTWATER
The Grand Tour in England. A lake cruise on Derwentwater with its many islands and a walk up Lodore Falls (waterfall) to the pretty hamlet of Watendlath re-enacts the excursions of late eighteenth century gentlemen who considered the scenery sublime and commissioned watercolours by Turner as souvenirs. Cruising on the lake reveals many houses with attractive gardens all built on viewpoints. Evening: Theatre visit
	Morning	Preparation for theatre visit Depart for Keswick Launch to Ashness Gate. Visit to the Lodore Falls before continuing to Watendlath for lunch at Caffle House.
	Afternoon	Walk to Jopperty How and return to Keswick.
	Evening	Dinner and theatre performance, Theatre by the Lake
Wednesday 13/10	SAWREY
Introduction to Beatrix Potter and the history of conservation in the Lake District. Hill Top is probably the area’s most popular “honey pot” destination but maintains all the charm of a farmhouse and cottage garden in true vernacular style. Afternoon walk to Hawkshead to visit the Grammar School attended by the Wordsworth brothers before continuing to Tilberthwaite with an Andy Goldsworthy Sheepfold. Afternoon walk to Hawkshead to visit the Grammar School attended by the Wordsworth brothers before continuing to Tilberthwaite with an Andy Goldsworthy Sheepfold.
	Morning	Sawrey via Windermere Ferry Visit to Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter Walk to Moss Eccles Tarn, picnic lunch Hawkshead (optional visit to Beatrix Potter Gallery)
	Afternoon	Visit to Wordsworth’s Grammar School between 1779 and 1787. Free time in Hawkshead. Return to Grasmere
	Evening	Dinner and party evening Nab Cottage
Thursday 14/10	WINDY HALL AND LEVENS HALL
A private visit to the garden of David and Diana Kinsman. For over 20 years David, a geologist, and Diana, an ecologist have created moss and woodland gardens extending from densely planted terraces close to their home. The visit is followed by a light lunch at the Strickland Arms before moving on to Levens Hall. In autumn the world famous topiary garden is having its annual clipping and this private visit sees the culmination of the summer season's growth in the garden. The fruit and nut trees hang heavy with their harvest. In the picturesque park visitors walk through a 'gentleman's paradise’ of mature trees, wild goats and black deer grazing by a fish filled river.
	Morning	Windy Hall. Private visit to Windy Hall garden accompanied by David Kinsman.
	Afternoon	Walk across the park to Levens Hall Pub supper Travellers’ Rest, Grasmere
Friday 15/10	WATERCOLOUR WORKSHOP
The morning watercolour workshop led by Malcolm Allum is followed by a free afternoon for fell walking or souvenir shopping.
	Morning	Watercolour workshop led by Malcolm Allum at a location to be decided.
	Afternoon	Free
	Evening	Dinner at the Columbina Restaurant, Grasmere
Saturday 16/10	JOHN RUSKIN’S BRANTWOOD
Tolstoy called Ruskin “one of those rare men who think with their hearts”. Brantwood was the final home from 1874 of the art critic, champion of Venice, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites and radical social philosopher. It is also a place of great beauty and can be approached from (Lake) Coniston in a steam gondola. The garden has been recently restored and sits as a jewel in the landscape. Many of Ruskin's architectural theories are recognised in the “Arts & Crafts” masterpiece of Blackwell by the international architect M.H.Baillie-Scott. Truth to materials, truth to nature and context and above all truth to beauty
	Morning	Depart for Coniston with luggage. Take the Steam Yacht Gondola across Coniston Water to Brantwood, home of John Ruskin (born 1819) from 1872 to his death in 1900.
	Afternoon	Blackwell via the Windermere Ferry. Visit to Blackwell, iconic building of the Arts and Crafts (Liberty) Movement.
	Evening	Return to Manchester. Farewell Curry Night.
Sunday 17/10	DEPARTURES

To whet your appetite for this course visit http://www.lakelandcam.co.uk each day.