The Lakes

The Lake District, also commonly known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North west England. It is famous for its mountains (Including Scafell pike the highest mountain in England) , lakes (Including the deepest and longest body of water, Windermere) and rivers. As well as its associations to the writers and poets; William Wordsworth, Beatrix potter and John Ruskin. It covers an area of approximately 2,362 square Kilometres and it is located within the county of Cumbria. All the land higher than 3,000 feet above sea level lies within the National park.

William Wordsworth commented on the mountains saying, "in the combinations which they make, towering above each other, or lifting themselves in ridges like the waves of a tumultuous sea, and in the beauty and variety of their surfaces and colours, they are surpassed by none".

The Lake district was designated a national park on 9th May 1951. It is the most visited National park in the United Kingdom with 15.8 million annual visitors and more than 23 million annual day visits.

Only one of the lakes in the Lake District is called by that name, Bassenthwaite Lake. All the others such as Windermere, Coniston Water, Ullswater and Buttermere are meres, tarns and waters, with mere being the least common and water being the most common.