Lorna Hill in Keswick

I have loved Lorna Hill's books since I was a child. Her Sadler's Wells series is an absolute joy, and I particularly love her Dancing Peel series.

All of the books revolve around dancing, and ballet in particular, but there is a lot more to them than just dance. They are set in beautiful locations including Northumberland, have interesting and complex characters and explore relationships of all kinds. Some of the books also involve horses! 

Even as a young reader I vaguely understood that there was a contrast between the world of ballet - the fleeting perfection of a dance, and the immutable permanence of the Northumberland landscape. At a time when landscape and the sense of place is so important in literature, I feel that Lorna Hill's novels have something quite important to say about place, literature and art.

So imagine how delighted I was to discover a Lake District connection. Lorna Hill moved to Keswick, to live with her daughter Vicky, I think. She lived at "Brocklehurst" until her death in 1991. 

"Brocklehurst" is an attractive house with views over Keswick, on the footpath to Walla Crag. It's a beautiful location and a fitting place for a wonderful author to spend the last years of her life.

As we were in Keswick over the weekend at Words by the Water, we took the opportunity to walk up to "Brocklehurst" and pay homage to one of my favourite writers.