Lost in the Lakes is the tale of travel writer Tom, who decides to take an adventure in the Cumbrian Lake District like no other. Instead of just going up a mountain, he decides to explore towering peaks, wide-open valleys and magnificent lakes, all on one big adventure, stopping off at a cosy inn or two along the way.
From Penrith and back (via Keswick, Cockermouth, Coniston, Grasmere and Windermere), he puts on his walking boots and visits places in between. And finds that away from the tourist routes along this ‘big wobbly circle’ tour, he finds our why this dramatic scenery attracts so many visitors each year.
Across a landscape that inspired the Romantic poets, he takes in remote parks of the park that many tourists miss. And enjoys plenty of encounters with fellow hikers, staying in shepherds huts, bothies and old climbers’ hotels along the way. And even goes for a (chilly) dip in Derwentwater.
This is the Lake District, but seen from its walking paths. With just a back pack, an open mind, and a spring in the step.
Each chapter is named for entertainment. No boring guidebooks here. For example, here are two:
Coniston to Cartmel, via Hawkshead and Boland Bridge. ‘Rejecting nothing and believing all things to be right and good.
Cartmel to Ambleside, via Bowness. With a loop to Rydal and Grasmere: Foodies and Wordsworthians.
Here’s a quick excerpt from the first chapter:
Then he talked walking for a while. a rocky ridge leading to the top of Helvellyn, the third highest Lake District peak. ‘It can be dangerous. Very. I’ve done it a few times. First, you get a weather report. It may be a gorgeous morning, but then the wind and clouds come in’. He paused and sipped his pint.
‘When the wind comes you just lie flat and wait. You could quite easily get blown off the edge. It’s a sheer drop. You shouldn’t even attempt to stand up in a storm. The wind. It’s atrocious. If you see it coming, you should lie down’. He paused once again, then said more brightly, ‘On a clear mind you, it’s fantastic scenery’.
About the Author
Tom Chesshyre is a writer who has travelled over 40,000 miles worldwide for his train books, walked the length of the River Thames and also journey to Hull and Back. He lives in London.
