A good place for cookery books, petrol, buns and chocolate
The head of the lake is a native settlement at the northern end of the Lake, also known as the Arctic.
Appearances and mentions[]
- The local church is there, as the Great Aunt goes there to tell the vicar how things used to be done. She's heard he's doing some things differently. (SD13)
- The Doctor may live there, or he may be returning to Rio from Nook Farm via the head of the lake when he is stopped (WH8).
- The North Pole is there; an Old Viewhouse or Summerhouse, is the object of the North Polar Expedition (WH26).
- At night the Swallows see Scattered lights in a line far ahead showed where the village lay close under the fells beyond and above the head of the lake (WH27).
- The drive from Rio to Beckfoot is via the head of the Lake (PP1).
- Colonel Jolys lives there (PP8).
- At the Head of the lake there is a river which (like the Amazon River) flows in to the lake (PM16).
- The Ds make their first voyage in Scarab to the Head of the Lake, as the Rio bay is too crowded for their first sail. They plan to avoid the steamer pier at the head of the lake, and sail upstream with tall reeds on either side and then between high earth banks and fields with grazing cows until they stop at a bank below a bridge with a stile to the road. Dot hurried off towards the village to look for a bookshop and something to eat. She wants to cook the rabbit, and gets a cookery book plus some buns and chocolate (PM16).
- The Head of the lake is the nearest place for petrol to Beckfoot for Billy Lewthwaite after he runs Rattletrap's tank dry (PM25).
- The conveyance ordered by the Great Aunt for 1 o'clock (possibly Dick Elleray's car) came from the head of the lake (PM30).
Possible native prototypes[]
The Lake is understood to be an amalgam of Windermere and Coniston Water. Towns at the northern 'head' of these lakes include Coniston (near the lake of that name), and Ambleside and Waterhead (both near Windermere).