Tarn Hows and Coniston Water were both new to me. We chose to visit Tarn Hows purely because National Trust would lend mobility scooters for people in need. My mother was delighted. Tarn Hows itself was a tiny area of water compared to the big and popular ones. But we were content to see something little and sweet (mainly to accommodate my mother). It was a beautiful day and I think it turned out to be one of the highlights in Lake District during our stay this year.
We arrived at about 10am. It wasn’t particularly early. The place was quiet. We misunderstood it as a sign of unknown and unpopularity, but we found out the truth later on… but for the moment, our lungs were filled with fresh and cool autumn air, and our hearts were filled with indescribable happiness. It was wonderful to be able to pace slowly and chat, to skip and hop in silly ways, to stop for photos and to enjoy it like our own back garden.
It reminded me of my childhood trips to the Summer Palace in Beijing. I suddenly realised it’s been a long time since my parents and I went on any family trips.
There were path winding away in brown grass towards hills to the north. It was hard to resist the invitation…
We strolled all the way around the adorable lake, which was never possible to do within a day for the bigger lakes. We admired this gem from all angles, and had a look at all the curves and edges (as the lyrics went). There were still very few people around, until we got back to the car park…
… and there was a big chaos: cars, SUVs, camper vans and all sorts. It was certainly not unknown and unpopular. We were just fortunate to arrive before everyone else!
We moved on to the quiet shore of Coniston Water and had a picnic. I vividly remember my parents’ fascination on two ducks and a lame seagull and were entertained for ages. I also remember Coniston historically belonged to Lancashire and only became part of Cumbria in 1974. It did feel a bit different somehow. Maybe just psychological. There was a loud noise of machinery going on the whole time we were there, which kind of ruined the peacefulness. I remember Kew Gardens near London Heathrow Airport and it makes me appreciate Beatrix Potter’s effort to stop an airport built near Windermere all the more!
Photos by Rong Fu. All right reserved.
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