Greta bank. <1>
Wednesday.
My dear Papa;
I received your letter yesterday afternoon, and we were glad to hear how prosperous your passage of Styhead had been. – Soon after you left us at Wastwater, we set out for Seaseales, <2> not without regretting that we could not remain longer in that beautiful spot. We had not time to stop at the nursery garden on our way, but when went straight to the station: however, when we got there, finding that we had some time to spare, we ran about on the sands, to Gipsy’s great delight. She tasted the water, thinking herself on the margin of a lake, and was very much surprised that it was not good to drink. She trembled very much when we first got into the train, but afterwards got more accustumed to the noise. Broughton is a small, noisy and uninteresting town, its only advantage consisting in its being so near the beautiful scenery of the Duddon. This we visited next day, following the river almost to the end of Seathwaite valley, having a fine view of Coniston old man, Hard knot &c. We made as many sketches as we could, and returned to Broughton at four o’clock. – We had already ascertained that there was a good hotel at Furness Abbey and accordingly left Broughton at a quarter to eight. We were very much struck with the appearance of the ruins, not having expected them to be half so extensive, nor so imposing. The only thing we did not like was having the railway station and Hotel so extremely close to the ruins. – The railroad from Broughton to Furness Abbey was only opened the day before we were there and the arrangements do not seem completed; for when we got into the train on our return at 1/2 past one the next day, we waited 40 minutes a little outside the station for the arrival of another train. Also when we changed trains at Broughton junction, we had to climb out of one carriage and into the other at the place where the roads meet, which was very inconvenient. St. Bees head appears a much plesanter place to spend a short time at, if one was in what of sea air, that <sic> sea scapes though there are more shingles and less sand –
We had to pass through the town of Whitehaven in an omnibus but there is a break in the railway at this point, the rest of road belonging to anther company. We again changed at Workington, to take the branch road to Cockermouth, where we found the carriage which had proceeded there from Seascales on Thursday. The first drops of rain that had fallen since our departure from Greta, we felt on arriving at Bassenthwaite lake. Here we have also made a step in Civilisation, by the institution of a regular post man, who brings the letters early and comes back at 1/2 past two, to fetch those that one has to send so that Poullen <3> <sic> need not go to Keswick every day as he did before –
Good bye, dear Papa, Your affectionate daughter
Matilda.
I forgot to say, that since our return, the weather is completely changed. –Notes:
1. Greta Bank, Cumberland, near Keswick
2. This and the following places are in the area of Cumbria.
3. William Pullen, Lacock Abbey coachman