Thomas West (1720 – 10 July 1779) was a Jesuit priest, antiquary and author, significant in being one of the first to write about the attractions of the Lake District. Partly through his book, A Guide to the Lakes, the Romantic vision of the scenery and wilderness of the north of England took hold, ushering in a period of continued tourism in the Lakes. Life West was born in Scotland in 1720, and was ordained a Catholic priest. He visited Europe, and received at least some of his education there, specialising in various branches of natural philosophy. He returned to Britain in his later life, moving to Furness in 1774 and residing at the seventeenth century Tytup Hall. West dedicated his remaining years to learning and writing about the area's landscape and history, publishing The Antiquities of Furness in 1774. He then embarked on his magnum opus, his Guide to the Lakes. A Guide to the Lakes West had travelled widely throughout continental Europe, and after accompanying various parties visiting the lakes, decided to write a detailed account of the scenery and landscape. Fellow Lakes resident William Brownrigg may have been a contributing factor in this decision. West set out to create a guide that would be of particular use to artists, writing in his introduction that he aimed 'To encourage the taste of visiting the lakes by furnishing the traveller with a Guide; and for that purpose, the writer has here collected and laid before him, all the select stations and points of view, noticed by those authors who have last made the tour of the lakes, verified by his own repeated observations. ' To this end he included various 'stations' or viewpoints around the lakes, from which tourists would be encouraged to appreciate the views in terms of their aesthetic qualities. Published in 1778 the book was a major success. As well as being the first guidebook to the lakes, West was amongst the first writers to challenge the view of the wild and savage north, and his book was one of the first to stress the notion of the picturesque environment. It was particularly influential at a time when Grand Tours were popular, as West claimed the Lakes contained much of the scenery that could be enjoyed on the continent, likening it to the Alps or the Apennines. His book was followed by similar works by William Gilpin, Uvedale Price and William Wordsworth. West's book was the beginning of the era of 'true tourism' in the Lake District.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Thomas West (1720 – 10 July 1779) was a Jesuit priest, antiquary and author, significant in being one of the first to write about the attractions of the Lake District. Partly through his book, A Guide to the Lakes, the Romantic vision of the scenery and wilderness of the north of England took hold, ushering in a period of continued tourism in the Lakes.

Overview

Thomas West (1720 – 10 July 1779) was a Jesuit priest, antiquary and author, significant in being one of the first to write about the attractions of the Lake District. Partly through his book, A Guide to the Lakes, the Romantic vision of the scenery and wilderness of the north of England took hold, ushering in a period of continued tourism in the Lakes. Life West was born in Scotland in 1720, and was ordained a Catholic priest. He visited Europe, and received at least some of his education there, specialising in various branches of natural philosophy. He returned to Britain in his later life, moving to Furness in 1774 and residing at the seventeenth century Tytup Hall. West dedicated his remaining years to learning and writing about the area's landscape and history, publishing The Antiquities of Furness in 1774. He then embarked on his magnum opus, his Guide to the Lakes. A Guide to the Lakes West had travelled widely throughout continental Europe, and after accompanying various parties visiting the lakes, decided to write a detailed account of the scenery and landscape. Fellow Lakes resident William Brownrigg may have been a contributing factor in this decision. West set out to create a guide that would be of particular use to artists, writing in his introduction that he aimed 'To encourage the taste of visiting the lakes by furnishing the traveller with a Guide; and for that purpose, the writer has here collected and laid before him, all the select stations and points of view, noticed by those authors who have last made the tour of the lakes, verified by his own repeated observations. ' To this end he included various 'stations' or viewpoints around the lakes, from which tourists would be encouraged to appreciate the views in terms of their aesthetic qualities. Published in 1778 the book was a major success. As well as being the first guidebook to the lakes, West was amongst the first writers to challenge the view of the wild and savage north, and his book was one of the first to stress the notion of the picturesque environment. It was particularly influential at a time when Grand Tours were popular, as West claimed the Lakes contained much of the scenery that could be enjoyed on the continent, likening it to the Alps or the Apennines. His book was followed by similar works by William Gilpin, Uvedale Price and William Wordsworth. West's book was the beginning of the era of 'true tourism' in the Lake District.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Not who you're looking for? Others named Thomas West: US politician · English politician · Australian politician (1830-1896) · American 18th century planter, military officer and politici

Thomas West across IJR

In the Arcade

Landgrab: Thomas West, 2nd Baron West EditionPaint the map. Hold the line. Take the world. Now starring the Thomas West, 2nd Baron West parody.Landgrab: Thomas West, 1st Baron West EditionPaint the map. Hold the line. Take the world. Now starring the Thomas West, 1st Baron West parody.Landgrab: Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr EditionPaint the map. Hold the line. Take the world. Now starring the Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr parody.

Studio characters

Thomas West, 9th Baron De La WarrSmall talk, big energy — the English baron has time for you.Thomas West, 1st Baron WestThe English baron with nowhere else to be today.Thomas West, 8th Baron De La WarrThe late-night sketch version — live in your chat.

Ask Genius by OpenServe about Thomas West Create in Studio Build a game Watch videos