Finding Greta Hall

 

Greta Hall wasn't easy to find as it is officially on the Main Street in Keswick, but, in reality, lies on higher ground, an un-signposted, few minutes walk away from the Main Street.

Thankfully, a couple of kind-hearted locals helped us find the place:

Once there, I found myself taking shots of the place from every angle possible:

Greta Hall was a must visit for me as it was the home of one of my favourite Romantic poets, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, between 1800 and 1803:

And another literary figurehead, Robert Southey, between 1803 and 1843:

The plaques above lie between the main entrance of the building:

A little research from the internet reveals that while living with his family at Greta Hall, Coleridge regularly visited William Wordsworth at Grasmere, and that Coleridge's daughter, Sara, was born at Greta Hall.

As for Robert Southey, he and his wife came to stay with the Coleridges in 1803, and he ended up taking over the tenancy when the Coleridges left, remaining there for 40 years until his death in 1843.

Greta Hall is also famous for being visited by a host of other Romantic poets and literary figures:  William and Dorothy Wordsworth; Lord Byron; John Keats; Percy Bysshe Shelley; Sir Walter Scott; Charles and Mary Lamb; Thomas De Quincey; John Ruskin etc.

A few shots from round the side and back of the building:

The plaque next to the door below seems to suggest that this may've been Coleridge's own private entrance:

And the part of the building below was the old wash room:

I had to get to Greta Hall because I still have pleasant memories of encountering Christabel; Dejection: An Ode; Frost at Midnight; and, of course, Kubla Khan while doing A Level English Literature classes in the evening at Bury College of FE between 1987 and 1988, with a great teacher called Mrs. McKenzie. All this seems another life away now, but the trip to Greta Hall kind of brought Coleridge alive again for me.

And of course, Kubla Khan is known to be the inspiration for the classic Rush tune Xanadu from the Farewell To Kings album back in 1977:

It's through the kind of connection between Xanadu and Kubla Khan that I sort of feel bonded to Coleridge.

And finally, the views of the Keswick rooftops and Lakeland mountains from Greta Hall are nothing short of spectacular:

Thus, if you ever visit or pass through Keswick, don't miss out on Greta Hall.