On March 13, 1802, William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy walked from their home at Townend (now called Dove cottage) to see if there were any letters for them at Rydal. Dorothy wrote in her journal: ‘’it was terribly cold – we had 2 or 3 brisk hail showers. The hailstones looked clean and pretty upon the dry clean road. Little Peggy Simpson was standing at the door catching the hailstones in her hand.’’