Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

We walk down a lane between grey slate houses and pass Dove Cottage, where
William lived during his most productive period. I’d like to go in and show Pepper
the portrait of her namesake, but she’s not allowed – the tiny interior is pretty much
as William left it when he moved out in 1808.
Houses behind us, we pass a flat rock beside the trail. A sign tells us that this is
a Coffin Stone. In this rocky, steep region, not every village had a graveyard, so
the dead had to be carried on the shoulders of their neighbours to those churches
that could bury them. Any flat rock along the way was a resting place.
© Ivan Vukelic | Getty
Church of St John at Kaneo, Macedonia
“Man is part of the scenery here, part of nature. Is isn’t meant to be an
empty wilderness – it’s comfortable, lived in”
The path is easy (but not so easy I’d want to carry a coffin). On our right is an
old, moss-covered stone wall marking the top-most field. On the left, beech and
oak trees give way to the open hillside above. The only sounds now are songbirds
and the ever-changing sounds of water.
This landscape is green for a reason. In a country famed for its rain, the Lake
District is the wettest part. Water is everywhere. It sprinkles down my neck with
every gust. The wall drips with mosses. Every two minutes we walk over a gurgling