A Tour of the English Lakes
INTRODUCTION  CONTENTS  MAP
U6. Ullswater from Pooley Bridge
Gray's Journal Entry: ‘Two miles further bring us to the little village of Pooley, pleasantly situated at the foot of Ulswater, and having, besides the embellishments of wood and water, a great accession of beauty from Dunmallard Hill, so called from the great resort of wild fowl thither from the lake. With this hill the village is connected by a neat bridge over the Emond, whence the annexed view of Ulswater has been taken. In the foreground on the left appears part of the village of Pooley, already mentioned, where there is a commodious little inn, much frequented by anglers as well as visitors of the lake itself: boats may here be obtained for navigating Ulswater, with guides, and cannon and ammunition for awakening the loud echoes from the surrounding hills. The mountain immediately behind the village is called Barton Park, beyond which arised Martindale Fell; and further on, the craggy rock of Hallin Hag. At the foot of these flows the first reach of the lake.’
Farington's Art
Sketch and Engraving: The lower reach of Ullswater from Pooley Bridge (called Barton Bridge by Thomas Gray). This sepia sketch differs in many respects from the 1816 volume engraving (the boat in the foreground is absent in the sketch, and the rocks in the left foreground do not appear in the engraving). This sketch was clearly not used by the engraver.
Pixel View
Send us your photo's! We will publish the best photographs of this view. Email your pictures to: pictures@penpaintpixel.org.uk
Location Hint: You can get almost the right view from the bridge but the houses in the trees that appear in the sepia sketch and the engraving don’t seem to exist now. Was the bridge there when Farington painted the view? The village now called Pooley Bridge was just called Pooley in those days. Did he add the houses from his imagination?
Published in partnership with the Wordsworth Trust. All content is subject to copyright.