Lovely Lake District

At the end of October I crossed one of the items off my bucket list by finally visiting England's Lake District.

We come across this stunning autumnal tree while taking an afternoon hike across hills, pastures and woods between the towns of Windermere and Ambleside.

The county of Cumbria, nestled in the very northwestern tip of England, is famed for its lakes, mountains and countryside. If you've seen the sweet 2006 Beatrix Potter biopic Miss Potter, then you've seen the Lake District. If you've read Wordsworth, then you've seen the Lake District, at least in word pictures. If you've read "Pride and Prejudice," then you know Elizabeth Bennett's pain at being denied her visit to the Lakes and you know it must be something good (although, let's be honest, Elizabeth gets to go to the equally stunning Derbyshire--the neighboring county to my Nottinghamshire home--and she makes out pretty well there in the end).

At long last, after two years in England, I made it to the Lake District with a friend, and we spent three glorious autumn days exploring the villages and countryside along both sides of the 10-mile Lake Windermere.

The village of Ambleside stretches out along Lake Windermere in Cumbria, the Lake District in England's northwest.

Although the day we wandered around the countryside was grey and misty--in true British holiday form--this view from the top of Orrest Head hill was still arrestingly dramatic.

After two days exploring the sizeable towns of Bowness, Windermere, Ambleisde and Keswick on the eastern side of the lake (although Keswick is actually about a 20-mile drive north of the lake and through some small mountains) we spent our third day by crossing Lake Windermere on the car ferry to visit Hawkshead Village, which was charming not only for its Beatrix Potter gallery displaying her original illustrations, but also had many intriguing shops. We then took a leisurely drive back up along the lake's western side, admiring the gorgeous fall plumage as much as we could on the tiny, twisty, hillside country lanes, before coming back around to Ambleside.

All Chicago architecture fans who visit the Lakes should make a trip to Blackwell Arts & Crafts house, which is a simply breathtaking example of a holiday house built at the height of the movement's popularity during the earliest days of the 20th century. Situated on a hill high above the lake, the house is a jewel box filled with one stunning feature after another, from the simple aesthetic placement of wooden planks on the landing to delicate carving in the corridors. After years of writing about Chicago architecture and design, I was delighted to see an Arts & Crafts house in the place where it all began.

This Cumbrian countryside farm yard is brightened by glorious leaves.