button to main menu  Clarke's Survey of the Lakes, 1787

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Page 95:-
At Ouzebridge is a pleasant house of John Christian's, Esq; situated upon a hill, with a pretty garden before it. It, with an estate belonging to it, was purchased by Mrs Christian (when Miss Curwen,) for a Summer-seat, but afterwards purchasing the large island upon Winandermere, she totally neglected it.
  Armathwaite
At a little distance is Armathwaite, the seat of J. Spedding, Esq: It is situated on a rising ground, which has a gentle declivity to the Lake; the building is neat, being of red freestone, and has from the front a pleasant view of the Lake, Wythop-Brows, the barren side of Skiddow, and the cluster of mountains called Newland-Fells: when Skiddow is enlightened by the evening sun, its appearance is not so gloomy as at other times.

book 3
  chapter 2

  Bassenthwaite Lake
CHAP. II.


BASSENTHWAITE-WATER.

Broad-Water or Bassenthwaite-Water, -- Manor, -- Fisheries, -- Annotations on Mr Gray's Journal, -- Bassenthwaite Village and Chapel, -- Under-Skiddow, or Brundum, -- Herdwick Sheep, -- Anecdote of a Physician, -- Return to Keswick, -- Further on Keswick, -- Journey to the top of Skiddow.
  Bassenthwaite Lake, fishing
THE Lake Broad-Water, commonly called Bassenthwaite-Water, is the property of the Earl of Egremont, both for fishing and navigation; for in the year 1772 the right to this Lake was tried at the Assizes holden at Carlisle, in a cause between the Earl of Egremont plaintiff; (or his trustees or agents, I cannot tell which, though I attended and drew the plans for the Earl's counsel, as the Earl then wanted four months of age, for he was born the 7th December 1751,) and Sir Gilfrid Lawson, Baronet, John Spedding, Esq; Thomas Storey, Esq; and others, the freeholders of Bassenthwaite, defendants, when the following issues were found for the Earl, viz.
That the said water called Broad-Water, and every part thereof, is the freehold of the Earl of Egremont.
That the Earl is seised of a separate fishery in the whole; except three draughts, viz. Ewes-Bridge, Stone-Wall, Eller-Stile, or Eller-Lake, wherein John Spedding, Esq; hath the free fishery in common with the said Earl; and as that owner of the fishery, he the said Earl and his tenants are intitled to the privilege of drawing and landing their nets used in the said fishery upon any of the grounds adjoining the Lake.
And that the earl is entitled to the sole navigation of the Lake, and hath liberty to land goods upon any of the grounds adjoining the Lake out of any boat or vessel navigating upon the Lake.
Those issues appeared to me to be a very great hardship upon the inhabitants, and very little to the advantage to the Earl, (who does not make twenty shillings a year of it:) many of them keep boats for pleasure, and navigating now and then a little wood, hay, straw, &c. and also went a fishing at pleasure. These were not the poorer sort, therefore could not be said to encourage idleness; as it is not worth building a boat for the sake of fishing only, here being no fish but pike and perch, and those when caught sell only for a penny a pound: yet a man, with one or two of his sons, and perhaps a visiting relation, could not go upon the Lake in an evening for
amusement,
gazetteer links
button -- "Armathwaite" -- Armathwaite Hall
button -- "Broad Water" -- Bassenthwaite Lake
button -- "Ouzebridge" -- (house, Ouse Bridge)
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