I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.'
Holidaying in the beautiful Lake District in April is always a delight with its swathes of daffodils colouring banks and meadows with subtle shades of yellow and cream.
Forever associated with William Wordsworth's poem Daffodils, we too admired their delicate beauty.
The connection for us though has a special significance because Wordsworth's uncle was Charles Cookson, sometime rector of a nearby local church in Norfolk and on the death of their parents, William's sister Dorothy moved to Forncett St. Peter rectory to live with her uncle for six years. William is known to have stayed at the Rectory for six weeks in 1790. The Rev Cookson's daughter Anne, their cousin, who died from Scarlet Fever is buried in the churchyard.
So, we are presently here wandering the steep fells and admiring Wordsworth's beloved rugged surrounds, while at the same time remembering that once he walked our local Norfolk lanes while perhaps appreciating our wide open skies and more gentle contours!
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