The English Lakes

The Lake District was a popular tourist destination in the mid-Victorian period, and the changes it underwent following the arrival of the railway called for a new guide. Harriet Martineau (1802–76), a prolific and skilled writer on a wide variety of subjects, who had elsewhere written extensively to campaign for women's rights and against slavery in America, published this guide in 1858, having moved to the area. It offers a vivid insight into what is to be expected of a typical Victorian walking holiday, presenting a snapshot of the region at that time. Martineau describes everything from the landscape and views, to the hotels and amenities, nearby museums and exhibitions, and the personalities in the local community. Her descriptions are brought to life with illustrations and woodcuts by landscape artists, and the book also features essays by local experts on the meteorology, botany and geography of the region.