A Guide to the Lakes: of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire

This is a modern edition of "A Guide to the Lakes" by Thomas West [last printed in 1821]. Unspoilt. Unvisited. Until Thomas West wrote his guidebook, the Lake District was unknown and unloved. No poets came, no tourists toured and the average nymph or shepherd saw nothing worth a second look. Yet before Wordsworth was even born, one man was showing people the beauty of this wilderness - through a camera, too. Thomas West was a scholar who loved the Lakes and made the world see what he saw. In this new edition of his guidebook, photographs match the original views and the 'viewing stations'. West sketches the scene and highlights the special features, 'verified by his own repeated observations' - a scholarly introduction and notes fill in the background. Why visit the Lakes? What will you see that the camera doesn't? Suitable for 'the curious of all ranks', this is the guidebook that began it all. Use it to look at the Lakes with fresh eyes.

Table of Contents:
Foreword viiShifting the Scenery by Mark Haywood ixA Guide to the LakesPreface to the 2nd edition by William Cockin 3Advertisement by William Pennington 5The taste of visiting the Lakes 8For such as spend their lives in cities 8Not inferior to the Alps of Apennines 9Prospects for the Artist 10When to Visit 10For visitors coming from the north 11For visitors coming from the south 12An eyeglass and mirror desirable 12Lancaster 13The castle 14The town 17Vale of Lonsdale: the prospect 18Crossing the sands 18Cartmel 22By Holker and Leven Sands 23Ulverston 24Furness Abbey 24Furness 26Conishead Priory 27Coniston 28Stations I-III 29Esthwaite Water 32Windermere 32Stations I-V 33Ambleside 41Rydal Water 43Grasmere Water 43Leathes 44Keswick 46Derwentwater 46Stations I-IV 46Borrowdale 50Stake Pass 52Further Prospects of Derwentwater 54Stations V-VIII 54Bassenthwaite Water 60Stations I-III 61Antiquities 63Station IV 64Buttermere Water 65Newlands 65Buttermere village 67Cromack Water 68Loweswater 69Views I-III 69Towards Penrith 72Antiquities 72Ullswater 75The lower reach of the lake 75Antiquities 76The middle reach of the lake 76The upper reach of the lake 77Other men's views of Ullswater 78Haweswater 80Penrith 82The environs of Penrith 83Shap 85Kendal 87The environs of Kendal 90From Kendal to Lancaster 92Measurements Height of mountains 93Depths of lakes 93 Road mileage 96AddendaI The Vale and Lake of Keswick by Dr Brown 100II Descriptive poem by Dr Dalton 103III Journal of his northern tour by Mr Gray 105IV 'Ode to the Sun' by Mr Cumberland 121V 'On the banks of Windermere' by Revd J. Plumtre 125VI Dunald Mill Hole by Mr A. Walker 130 VII The caves of Craven by Revd John Hutton 132VIII Furness Fells - on planting landmarks and trees by Mr West 164IX Ennerdale by a friend of the publishers 169X Cumberland Dialect by Relph 173XI A ride over Skiddaw by Mrs Radcliffe 177Notes 183Plates 195