September 26, 2024 Safari complete, today, we fly out of Africa to green and pleasant England, to hike Cornwall and the Lake District.
A British Encore
We enjoyed a nearly complete circuit of the British Isle in the early fall of 2022, thoroughly exploring England, Wales, and Scotland. Our favorite spot was the Lake District, walking the emerald-green fells high above the lakes, with blue skies and lonely clouds drifting above. The views are almost technicolor in intensity. It’s time for an encore!
Cornwall
On that 2022 British Trip, we missed the remote Cornish peninsula. Cornwall enjoys a mild subtropical climate thanks to the warm Gulf Stream. It even supports palm trees in the far south and west of the peninsula! Cornwall is famous for getaway weekends by the sea, and summer finds it teeming with tourists. Hopefully, our late September arrival will avoid the crowds, and we will have the Land’s End hikes to ourselves.
Glastonbury
Enroute to Cornwall, we will visit Glastonbury for a couple of days. Today the town is popularly known for its huge Woodstock-like summer music festival. Historically though, it is known for Arthurian mythology. Rugged Glastonbury Tor (rocky hill), high above the town, is supposedly the site of the Round Table, with King Arthur and Guinevere buried somewhere nearby.
While here, we hope to hike Cheddar Gorge (yup, where Cheddar cheese originated), and to visit the bizarre Cerne Giant and other historical sites.
Hiking in Wales
The drive from Cornwall to the Lake District is looooong, so we will break it up with a couple of hikes. First, Brecon Beacons National Park. We drove through the area in 2022, but only had time for a few photos from the car. This time, we plan to hike Pen Y Fan. Reaching 2900′, it is the highest peak in Britain south of Snowdonia,
We then will skip along the Wales/England border to Hay-on-Wye, known as “Booktown.” There we will hike a section of Offa’s Dyke, a 1200-year old wall built to separate English Ango-Saxons from Welsh Celts, bitter tribal rivals.
And finally… on to The Lakes.
The Lake District
This is our ultimate destination… two weeks parked near Ambleside, beneath Loughrigg Fell. While hiking in 2022, we spied a place looking over a brook, just a short stroll from town. We decided then that if we returned, this was the place to be. I expect we will do a few hikes and heft a few pints, and that’s about it. This will be a perfect way to cap our 2024 travels.
Journey Map and Itinerary
Here is our approximate route, which you can view and add as a layer in your own Google Maps. The map outlines cities where we stayed, our route, some historical sites, and hikes along the way.
If you are interested in a similar trip, the attached PDF itinerary is a good place to start!