A Literary Walking Tour of Ambleside

Back by popular demand is Penny Bradshaw, Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Cumbria and author of A Literary Walking Tour of Ambleside (2021), who will lead this three-hour literary-themed walk, with readings, around the environs of Ambleside. The walk will begin and end at The Armitt and along the way, we will hear from a range of celebrated writers who visited Ambleside, from John Keats to Charlotte Bronte. We will also encounter the homes of many important literary figures who settled in this region, including Thomas De Quincey’s home in Ambleside and that of William Wordsworth at Rydal. By the middle of the 19thC Ambleside had become a hub of intellectual and imaginative pursuits, but it had also come to be at the centre of a Victorian vogue for ‘literary tourism’. During the tour, Bradshaw will offer insights into this important aspect of the town’s history and will share some of the responses it inspired in its literary visitors.

After the walk, there will be an opportunity for attendees to explore The Armitt Museum as part of the ticket.

NB: the tour will mainly involve walking along good footpaths but attendees are advised to wear suitable footwear and outer clothing. Please have lunch beforehand as the walk will be continuous and only stop briefly for readings.