The English Lake District

The English Lake District is up at the northwest corner of the country in the county of Cumbria. Before the county boundary changes of 1974 the Lake District used to consist of parts of three historic counties (Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire) but the new county of Cumbria now contains the whole of the first two and some northern areas of the third, plus a little taken from Yorkshire. This sometimes causes confusion for people using old guide books or historic maps.

The Lake District is only a small area, never more than fifty miles across in any direction, but it is packed with a remarkable concentration of beautiful countryside - rivers, mountains and lakes - which have been an inspiration to countless poets and artists. William Wordsworth was not only born on its northern fringes, in Cockermouth, but returned to live first by Grasmere and then by Rydal Water. An entire galaxy of artists and authors have lived and worked among these mountains and by these waters.

To Ullswater at the northeastern limits, to Ennerdale Water by the west coast, to Bassenthwaite Lake in the north, and to Coniston Water and Windermere in the south, visitors in their tens of thousands arrive around the calendar to experience the special Lake District environment and explore its many places of interest.

Others more energetic climb the mountains and sail the lakes. Yet others come to observe the wild life or to fish the streams. Accommodation ranges from top flight luxury hotels to self-catering cottages and campsites. Indoor attractions catering for a wide variety of tastes, for young and old, have been developed over recent decades not only to allow for those "summer" days when water pours from the heavens but also to provide for the colder seasons of the year.

Most of what people think of as the Lake District is within the boundaries of the Lake District National Park Authority, which as a governmental body has statutory powers over development and responsibilties for conservation. Large stretches of land are owned by the National Trust, which is not a government body but a highly regarded membership organisation with conservation objectives. Individual and family membership of the National Trust allows for free access to many locations in the region, from gardens to historic houses, as well as making a financial contribution to the cause of preserving this area of outstanding natural heritage.

In our "England's Lakes" web sites we provide a wide range of information and ideas for a visit, as well as links through which to buy Lake District books, maps, guides, and much more. Our travel section provides for booking rail and coach journeys to reach the Lakes, plus car hire,as well as a Lake District Hotel Finder service through which you can book accommodation at a wide variety of price brackets according to your taste and your pocket. Then there's our site about the Lake District in Old Photos which goes back to the early-twentieth and even late-nineteenth centuries.

Make sure that you don't miss the English Lake District. If you're too far away geographically then experience it at a distance through literature and art. You can also experience something of the Lake District past through heritage photographs. Old photos of the Lake District can bring to the mind scenes as you might have seen them fifty, a hundred or even more years ago.

Remember as well that just outside the Lake District are several other extremely beautiful areas of countryside. The North Pennines (which are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) are a short drive from the northern lakes, whilst just the other side of the M6 motorway from Ullswater there is the Eden Valley with its ancient small towns such as Appleby and Kirkby Stephen and great walking country up into the upper Eden Valley past Pendragon Castle in Mallerstang. Whether browsing in picturesque towns, exploring ancient ruins or walking over the fells this is an excellent area for a holiday away from the national park crowds.