Lake District Honeymoon.
Wedding Tour of Mr & Mrs Edward Benham, Sept. 7th, 1852.

A manuscript account of the couple’s honeymoon in Westmorland and Cumberland, following their marriage on the 7th of September at St Peter’s Church, Colchester. They arrived at Windermere by train the following day and stayed at the Crown Hotel overlooking Bowness. After a boat trip and climb to a summit, the couple moved on to Ambleside, hiring an apartment at the house of Mrs Johnson. The following day they set off on horseback for Langdale Pikes ‘taking ‘en route’ Colwith Force a very pretty waterfall. The former part of our ride lay along the Brathay. We passed Elterwater and Loughrigg Tarn … and after passing through a wild and hilly country put up our ponies at Mill Beck where we engaged a boy to act as guide to Dungeon Gill Force and up Langdale Pikes ….’

Next morning they set off by cart for the Waterhead Inn at Coniston. Rambling around the lake and ‘choosing a flat and suitable stone for a monument to our worthy selves, Edward inscribed in admirably engraved letters the names of ‘Edward and Mary Benham’ with the date and then with all due form we buried the memorial with a visiting card in a place …’

The tour continued to Patterdale and Airy Force via the Kirkstone Pass. Following a perilous return over the pass, they visited Wordsworth’s house on Rydal Mount and his grave at Grasmere. Heading to Keswick via Thirlmere they viewed Eagle Crag, Skiddaw, Helvellyn and Blencathra. The final entry relates to preparations for the ascent of Skiddaw. Whether they failed to survive Skiddaw or simply ran out of paper is not known.

Manuscript on paper, 32 pages, 160mm x 100mm, stitch bound, without covers.