Gray's Journal Entry: ‘Keswick stands on the north of Derwentwater, and at no great distance from it. It is a small market town chiefly deriving its importance from its situation, being usually made the headquarters of the inquisitive traveller. The point of view is at the entrance of the road from Cockermouth. The bridge in the foreground is over the Greata, which joins the Derwent a little below in its course from Derwent- to Bassenthwaite-water. Behind the houses on the right stands Castlett-crag at the foot of which runs the road to Lodore. The rocks which serve as a background to the scene are Wallow-crag, Eve-crag, etc. hanging over the eastern side of the lake. Keswick is eighteen miles distant from Windermere, and fourteen from Ullswater. It ought to be observed here, as it was done before with respect to the timber and coppice-woods, that the bridges in this country are liable to perpetual alterations on account of the violence of the torrents [the floods and loss of bridges in 2009 were nothing new]; it is not therefore to be wondered if the representation given of them should sometimes vary from the present form.’ |