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 The
Lakes in the Lake District
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Major
Lakes
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Keswick
& the North Lakes
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Bassenthwaite
Lake, lying a short distance from Derwentwater, is the
most northerly lake in the Lake District. At 4 miles
long it is one of the largest lakes and also one of the shallowest.
Bassenthwaite Lake is home to the rare vendace fish.
There are no major settlements on its shores and the area
is popular for walking and sailing. This is the only
sheet of water officially recognised as a 'lake' -
the others are either waters or meres.
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Buttermere
lies 8 miles south-west of Keswick. Meaning 'the lake
by the dairy pastures', Buttermere has long been popular with
visitors. A footpath runs around the picturesque lake
and there are also walks to the summits of Haystacks and Red
Pike. In the little church of St James in Buttermere
village (lying between Buttermere and Crummock Water) there
is a memorial to Alfred Wainwright, the author of the famous
Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. Haystacks was
Wainwright's favourite place to walk and at his request his
ashes were scattered on the fell.
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Crummock Water
lies betwen Buttermere and Loweswater. The lake is about
twice as long as Buttermere and a lot deeper. The lake
is owned by the National Trust and watersports are banned
(although rowing boats can be hired). With Grassmoor
to the west and the fells of Mellbreak to the east, Crummock
Water has superb views from either side and is very popular
with walkers. A number of streams feed Crummock Water and
the beck from Scale Force has a drop of 170 ft, the Lake District's
highest waterfall.
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Derwentwater,
to the south of Keswick, is England's
widest lake. Once part of nearby Bassenthwaite Lake,
the lake is fed from the River Derwent catchment area in the
high fells of Borrowdale. This is England's wettest
spot, receiving 200 in of rain a year. The lake is a
popular place for sailing, rowing and visitors can also take
a trip on a motor launch or relax on one of its many beaches.
Derwentwater has 4 islands. These are all owned by the
National Trust, as is much of the lake's shoreline.
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Loweswater,
lying a short distance to the north-west of Crummock Water,
is the smallest of the lakes. Set in the Lorton Valley,
this is the only lake in the National Park to drain inland
(towards Crummock Water to which it was once joined).
At the south-eastern end of the lake traditional rowing boats
can be hired from the National Trust Watergate Farm. The lake
nestles in a wooded valley and red squirrels can be spotted
in the locality.
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Thirlmere,
to the south of Derwentwater, was once two lakes. This
is reflected in its name which means 'lake with a gap'.
The lakes were dammed in the 1890s to create one vast reservoir
to supply Manchester. Although a reservoir, the lake
has public access and watersports are popular here.
Nearby is Helvellyn (3118 ft), the third highest peak in the
Lake District. Helvellyn is approached by a dramatic
one mile long ridge known as Striding Edge, which has spectacular
drops on either side.
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Western
Cumbria
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Ennerdale Water,
the most westerly of the lakes, lies 8 miles east of Whitehaven.
Outlined by trees, this is said to be most natural looking
stretch of water in the Lake District. The deep lake
is 2.5 miles long and has exceptionally clear water, with
a variety of fish. The remote lake is the only one not
to have a road running beside it. Ennerdale Water is
the was dammed to provide water for the coastal towns of west
Cumbria.
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Wastwater
lies in Wasdale, north-east of Ravenglass.
One of the most spectacular valleys in the Lake District,
Wasdale is surrounded by some of England's tallest mountains,
including Scafell Pike, its highest peak (3,210 ft).
Not surprisingly Wasdale, is the home of English rock climbing
and offers true mountaineering in the surrounding fells.
Most of the valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, England's
deepest lake (258 ft). The beautiful stretch of water
is 3 miles long and at its deepest point lies below sea level.
The River Irt flows through Wastwater on its way its estuary
at Ravenglass. The dramatic Wastwater Screes drop right
into the water at the lake's south-eastern shore. At
the head of the valley, dominated by the magnificent Great
Gable and Scafell Pike, stands the hamlet of Wasdale Head.
Near the village, surrounded by yew trees, is St Olaf's Church.
This is one of the smallest churches in the country and its
beams are said to have come from a Viking long ship.
Lying further down the valley are the villages of Nether Wasdale
and Gosforth. The valley's remote position, cut off
from the rest of the Lake District by its mountains, means
that it has remained unchanged by tourism.
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East
of Cumbria -Eden Valley
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Ullswater lies to the
south west of Penrith, beside the
A592. At 7.5 miles in length, this is the second largest
stretch of water in the Lake District. Said to be the
most beautiful of the lakes, Ullswater winds through craggy
mountains from Helvellyn to Skiddaw and is overlooked by Place
Fell at the lake's head. Wordsworth loved Ullswater
and wrote his 'Ode to Daffodils' about the lake's springtime
display of flowers. In the summer 19th century steamers
sail the lake from Pooley Bridge to Glenridding. Boats
can also be hire for cruising on the lake. Martindale,
on the remote side of the lake, has a chapel dating from 1633.
On the A66 near Penrith stands
Rheged - the Upland Kingdom Discovery Centre. This attraction
is named after the ancient kingdom of Cumbria which reached
its peak in the late 6th century. Housed in the largest
grass covered building in Europe and features exhibitions,
including an international mountainering display, shops, art
galleries, cafés and a restaurant. Rheged's centrepiece is
a giant cinema screen, the size of six double-decker buses.
Films are screened here fours times daily. The centre also
has a Tourist Information Centre and indoor children's play
area.
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Haweswater
Reservoir is the highest lake in the Lake District. Lying
to the north east of Ambleside, Haweswater was once two lakes:
High Water and Low Water. In the early 1930s these were dammed
to create one large reservoir to supply the city of Manchester.
At Riggindale, on the western side of Haweswater, is the only
place in England where Golden Eagles nest (watched over by
the RSPB).
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South
Lakeland
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Coniston Water, to the
south-west of Ambleside on the A593, is five miles long and
the third largest of the Lakes. In the 13th and 14th
centuries the lake was owned by Furness Abbey and was an important
source of fresh fish for the monks.
Later the stretch of water was used to transport iron and
copper ore from the many mines of Coppermines Valley above
Coniston.
Arthur Ransome based his children's
book 'Swallows and Amazons' on Coniston Water.
In 1967 Sir Malcolm Campbell
died on Coniston Water when his boat Bluebird crashed after
reaching 300 miles an hour in an attempt to regain the world
water spead record. His story is told at the Ruskin
Museum in Coniston. (The Lakeland Motor Museum at Holker
Hall, near Grange-over-Sands, also illustrates the lives of
Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald Campbell in the Campell
Legend Bluebird Exhibition).
The three islands in the lake
are all owned by the National Trust, whose restored steam
yacht 'Gondola' takes visitors on trips across the lake. Coniston
Water also offers a range of water sports.
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Grasmere lies to the
north-west of Ambleside on the A591. The lake lies
in the Rothay Vale and is joined to neighbouring Rydal Water
by the River Rothay. The mile-long lake is surrounded
by bracken-covered fells.
The village of Grasmere beside
the lake is probably the most popular in the Lake District,
thanks to its connection with the poet William Wordsworth. From
1799 to 1808 Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived at
Dove Cottage across from the lake. Here Wordsworth
wrote much of his poetry and Dorothy kept her famous journals.
'Sarah Nelson's Gingerbread Shop' beside the church, was
once the village school and William, his wife Mary and Dorothy
all taught here in the early 19th century. William
and his wife are buried in the graveyard of St Oswald's
Church, on the banks of the River Rothay. Their simple
tombstone is one of the most visited literary shrines in
the world.
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Rydal Water,
one of the smallest lakes in the Lake District, lies in the
Rothay Vale and is connected to Grasmere by the River Rothay.
Rydal Mount,
the home of Wordsworth from 1813 to 1850, has superb views
over Rydal Water, Lake Windermere and the surrounding fells.
There are many walks around the area including a paths that
leads up steps at the western end of the lake to 'Wordsworth's
Seat', said to be the poet's favourite viewpoint. Another
path passes Rydal Cave, a large cavern in a hill above the
lake.
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Windermere Lake, lying
to the south of Ambleside on the A592, is the largest natural
lake in England. This magnificent stretch of water is
12 miles long, 1 mile across and 220 ft deep. Belle
Isle, its largest island, almost divides Windermere in two.
On the east side of the lake lies the Fell Foot Country Park
and just north of the town of Windermere,
right on the lake, is the National Park Visitor Centre at
Brockhole. A short walk from the lake is Orrest Head,
a superb viewpoint, made popular by Wordsworth. This
was the first summit visited by Alfred Wainwright, author
of the famous Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, in 1930.
Car ferry from Ferry Nab, Bowness
to Ferry House at Far Sawrey. The modern ferry, which
operates on cables that run under the lake.
Steamers and launches also operate
the full length of the lake calling at Bowness, Waterhead
and Lakeside. Lakeside Station, at the southern end
of the lake, was built in 1869 as the terminus of the Furness
Railway.
Windermere is popular for sailing,
canoeing, windsurfing and water skiing.
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Esthwaite Water
lies between Windermere and Coniston Water. Beatrix
Potter lived at Hill
Top Farm in Near Sawrey at the southern end of the lake.
The road to Hawkshead from the Bowness Ferry runs alongside
the eastern side of Esthwaite Water. William Wordsworth,
who attended school in Hawkshead, often walked around this
tiny lake in the morning.
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Elterwater,
a small, shallow lake, lies a few miles west of Ambleside.
Elterwater gets its name from the Norse word 'elter' meaning
swan (whopper swans migrate here in the winter). Lying
in the lovely Great Langdale Valley, this stretch of water
is dominated by the twin peaks of Harrison's Sickle and Pike
of Stickle. There are several popular walks in the area.
The village of Elterwater to the north-west of the lake is
one of the most picturesque in the Lake District.
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Our
Hotel Booking Line
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Call
0870 4786316
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