Inspired by the Landscape

Whilst most people were enjoying a well-earned lie-in on the first Sunday of the summer break, a group of 12 Senior School pupils, from Year 10-13, along with Ms Hart, Dr Webb, and Mr Taylor, made a 6:30 am start from the arches on the long journey to Ambleside in Cumbria.

On day 1, pupils were introduced to Dove Cottage in Grasmere, where the Wordsworths lived during some of their most productive writing years. Under the expert tutelage of Catherine Kay, pupils learned about the Wordsworths' lives, their history, and the impact of the landscape on their writing, which was further explored during a sunny guided literary walk through White Moss in the afternoon. The walking didn’t stop there! After dinner, pupils enjoyed an evening hike around Tarn Hows to enjoy the beautiful serenity.

Day 2 started with a workshop session in the Jerwood Centre, introducing to pupils to manuscripts and rare books, such as a first edition Frankenstein worth over £20,000. After a morning of academic study, pupils ventured over to Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm to enjoy a tour of her house, left as it was when she lived there, and then some writing and sketching in her wonderful cottage garden. The evening was filled with a long valley walk from Skelwith Bridge to Elterwater, along the riverside and through fields, whilst the sun set behind the looming hills.

The final day was full of creativity and relaxation. Pupils took part in The Time Lab project led by artist and guest curator Stacey Joy Rossouw. Inspired by William Wordsworth’s explorations of memory in his great poem The Prelude, ‘The Time Lab: Exploring a Living Prelude’ brings together visitors' stories and Wordsworth’s verses and transforms them into a continually changing, interactive artwork. Stacey led a workshop where the pupils used drawing and sound to explore how their personal memories resonate through time. After a Lake Windermere boat trip to Wray Castle, pupils returned to Dove Cottage in the evening to recite their poetry and share readings from the morning session.

The purpose of this trip is to introduce pupils to writers and artists who have been inspired by the remarkable landscape of the Lake District. The towering mountains and glistening Lake Windermere certainly worked their magic on this group.