Old Cumbria Gazetteer

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included in:-	Bassenthwaite Lake
	viewpoint, Armathwaite Hall
site name:-	Armathwaite Hall
civil parish:-	Bassenthwaite (formerly Cumberland)
county:-	Cumbria
locality type:-	viewpoint
coordinates:-	NY20473234 (guess)
1Km square:-	NY2032
10Km square:-	NY23
	BLO53.jpg  From Armathwaite Hall, on a dull day. (taken 20.1.2006)
evidence:-	descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821)  placename:-  station, Bassenthwaite, West 1
source data:-	Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.   goto source Page 120:-  "..." "But the singular beauties of this lake have not before been noticed, viz. the grand sinuosity of three noble bays." "STATION I. From Armathwaite, the lower bay is in full display; a fine expanse of water, spreading itself both ways, behind a circular peninsula (Castle-how) that swells in the middle, and is crowned with wood. In former times it has been surrounded with water, by the lake on one side, and the assistance of a brook that descends from Embleton, on the other. The accessible parts have been defended by trenches, one above another. The upper part must have been occupied with building, as the vestiges of the ruins are visible; and like other such places in this region, they were probably secured by the first inhabitants, as places of difficult access, and of easy defence. From the bottom of the bay, some waving inclosures rise to the side of a green hill, and some scattered houses are seen at the upper end of a fine slope of inclosures. The banks of the lake are fringed with trees, and under them the crystal water is caught in a pleasing manner. At the north-"   goto source Page 121:-  "[north-]west corner, the Derwent issues from the lake, and is spanned by a handsome stone bridge of three arches. The whole western boundary is the noble range of wooded hills called Wythop-brows. On the eastern shore, the lake retires behind a peninsula, that rushes far into the water, and on its extreme point, a solitary oak, waving to every wind, is most picturesque. This is Scareness. The coast upward, is a fine cultivated tract to the skirts of Skiddaw. Far to the south, Wallow-crag, with all the range of rock, and broken craggy mountains, in Borrowdale, are seen in fine perspective; and on their outline, the spiral point of Langdale-pike appears blue as glass. The deep green woods of Foe-park, and the golden front of Swinside, form a pleasing termination."
evidence:-	old map:- Crosthwaite 1783-94 (Bas)  placename:-  Armathwaite Hall
source data:-	Map, uncoloured engraving, An Accurate Map of Broadwater or Bassenthwaite Lake, scale about 3 inches to 1 mile, by Peter Crosthwaite, Keswick, Cumberland, 1783, version published 1800. CT6NY23B.jpg "Armathwaite Hall / Sir F. F. Vane's Bart. / and West's First Station" item:-  Armitt Library : 1959.191.4 Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-	old text:- Green 1810
source data:-	Set of prints, soft ground etchings, Sixty Studies from Nature, by William Green, Ambleside, Westmorland, drawn 1808-10, published 1810.   goto source page 73:-  "... From Armathwaite hall, the view down the lake is exquisite in its kind, but Helvellyn, by being removed ten miles from the eye, is not remarkable in its features as one of the component parts of this picture. ..."
evidence:-	descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834)
source data:-	Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.   goto source "... The road at the foot of the lake is much encumbered by trees; but by walking a few paces through a gate, nearly opposite Armathwaite Hall, the prospect from the margin of the lake is extensive; and the botanist may perhaps find something worth his notice. ..."
	indexing
person:-	author  : West, Thomas
place:-	Bassenthwaite Lake
date:-	1778
period:-	18th century, late
period:-	1780s
item:-	guide book; Guide to the Lakes

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