Rothay Bank <1>
Wednesday Aug 24th
My dear Papa
Do not think that it is only hot at Lacock. Here also Summer is returned in all its vigour since Thursday every day has been fine and several very hot. Mamma Charles <2> and I drove to Blea tarn on Saturday going by Elter water & Little Langdale in Mr Marshall’s <3> Poney carriage. The roads are as stoney and bad as formerly and that part of the Country seems little changed, but few new houses built and no staring lodgings or hotels as yet have appeared – only a new church has taken the place of the little chapel you may remember at the end of the valley, and the Farm above, at this end, to which we used after to walk when we lived at the Cottage is considerably enlarged – They are trying to destroy the heather round the Farm itself which is a great pity, as there are so few places here abouts where it continues to flourish, but they want to turn every thing into pasture land or oat fields – yesterday was splendid – only the sun rather hot in the middle of the day, and we drove over to Keswick, <4> returning quite late in the evening – Charles walked to Ormethwaite and lunched with the Wakes, and Mamma and I at Greta Bank <5> – They had asked us if possible to go over some day this week, as they are now alone, which is not often the case this time of the year, when they receive a succession of friends, which being strangers to us, one would naturally not wish to encounter. The Mire house party also arrived after luncheon and Mrs Spedding <6> was kind enough to take us down to the landing in her carriage which saved us a hot walk – we were going across the Lake to see Sir John Woodford, <7> but unluckily, not having written before hand he happened to be out, and after walking about for an hour hoping to meet him, and actually seeing some one at a distance, probably himself, just as we were obliged to be going, we had to return after a fruitless search, and I am afraid he will be much disappointed at having missed us – We saw little Greta looking well and the other dogs who have become rather fat and old – so he [illegible deletion] no longer takes them out with him when he goes any distance – It was a most charming evening for the lake – indeed we could not have been more fortunate in our weather all day. – A thick haze came on shortly after sunset and it was dark and gloomy long before we got to Grasmere. <8> – We have thick fogs and very heavy dews at night now – Today the sun is very hot, and I am obliged to write nearly in the dark as it is impossible to sit with the blinds up – If there was any fruit this year how well it would ripen! Charles supposes you must be feasting on figs at Lacock but I am afraid you do not happen to like them. The grapes and the grouse he brought us from Speddoch were a great treat and I am sorry you were not with us to share them.
Good bye dear Papa
Your affectionate daughter
Ela
Notes:
1. Grasmere, Lakes District.
2. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife, and Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.
3. Probably J H Marshall.
4. Keswick, Cumberland.
5. Greta Bank, Cumberland, near Keswick.
6. Probably the wife of Thomas Storey Spedding (1800–1870), of Mirehouse, man of letters.
7. Sir John George Woodford (1785–1879), Major General.
8. Grasmere, Westmoreland: popular summer venue; Wordsworth is buried there.
9. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.