Countrystride #65: THE PASSIONATE SISTERHOOD - Sisters and wives of the Lake Poets

...in which we stroll out from rainy Keswick with author and Back o' Skiddaw native, Kathleen Jones, to discuss the women in the lives of Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey – sisters and wives whose stories have been lost in the margins of history. As we wander past Greta Hall – one-time home of the Southey and Coleridge families – we learn about the remarkable 'constellation' of young idealists (and orphans) who made Lakeland home; we consider the intense, often strained relationships between the group; we talk about opium addiction, domestic drudgery and chronic illness; we discuss long walks and constricted creative talents; and – arriving at Derwent Water as a storm brews down Borrowdale – we consider the key role played by the oft-lonely women in holding the group together, long after the poets had fallen out.

• Kathleen's book, 'A Passionate Sisterhood: The Sisters, Wives and Daughters of the Lake Poets', is available from all good bookshops.

• Kathleen is on Twitter at @kathyferber

Greta Hall, the Skiddaw massif looming behind. The Hall was home to the Coleridge and Southey families.

Our guest for the day: Kathleen Jones in front of Greta Hall.

Greta Hall: smart now - wet and windy when Southey first moved in.

We were spotted walking through Keswick - thanks to Steve Fidoe for the pic.

Low cloud (and high winds!) over Derwent Water.