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Gosforth

On the edge of his picturesque village, in the graveyard of St Mary's Church, stands the tallest ancient cross in England. Fifteen feet high, the Viking Cross towers above the huddled gravestones in the eaceful churchyard. Carved from red sandstone, and clearly influenced by both Christian and pagan traditions, the cross depicts the crucifixion, the deeds of Norse gods and Yggdrasil, the World Ash Tree that Norsemen believed supported the universe. The interior of the church also conains some interesting features. There's a Chinese Bell, finely decorated with Oriental imagery, which was captured in 1841 at Anunkry, a fort on the River Canton, some delightful carved faces on the chancel arch and a collection of ancient stones, the most notable of which dates from Saxon times and depicts the Lamb of God trampling on the serpents of pagan faith.

A major attractionin this appealing village is Gosforth Pottery, based in an old farmhouse, where Dick and Barbara Wright produce beautifully crafted work and also give pottery lessons.

To the east of Gosforth runs Wasdale, the wildest of the Lake District valleys but easily accessible by road. The road leads to Wastwater, which is just three miles long, but the deepest lake in Englnd. The southern shores are dominated by huge screes some 2000 feet high that plunge abruptly into the lake, and provide an awesome backdrop to this tranquil stretch of water. A lake less like Windermere would be hard to find, as there are no motorboats ploughin their way up and down; this is very much the country of walkers and climbers and from here there are many footpaths up to some of the best fells in Cumbria.

Wasdale Head, just to the north of the lake, is a small, close-knit community with an inn that has provided a welcome refuge for walkers and climbers since the mid-1800s. Wasdale Church is claimed to be the smallest in England - although this title is hotly disputed by Culbone in Somerset and Dale Abbey in Derbyshire. The church was built in the 14th century and it is hidden away amidst a tiny copse of evergreen trees. Local legend suggests that the roof beams came from a Viking ship and is certainly truethat until late Victorian times the church had only an earth floor and few seats.

As well as the deepest lake and the smallest church, Wasdale also boasts the highest mountain in England, Sca Fell Pike (3205ft) - and the world's biggest liars. This latter claim goes back to the mid-1800s when Will Ritson, "a reet good fibber", was the publican at the inn. Will enthralled his patrons with tall stories of how he had crossed foxes with eagles to produce flying foxes and had grown turnips so large he could hollow them out to mak a comfortable residence. In the same spirit, the World's Biggest Liar competition takes place every November, usually at the Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge.