Lake District

The Lake District National Park is one of thirteen National parks in the United Kingdom. It lies entirely within the county of Cumbria, and is one of England's few mountainous regions. All the land in England higher than three thousand feet above sea level lies within the Park. The Lakes, as the region is also called, were made famous during the early 19th century by the poetry and writings of William Wordsworth. This whole land of fells presents wonderful and mystic scenes for painters and photographers and many visitors are attracted there to go rambling, or simply to enjoy views of lake and mountain scenery.

Geography

The Lake District is only about 55 km (34 miles) across (north-to-south or west-to-east), but manages to pack into that relatively small area a wide variety of scenery, dominated by various formations left over by the last ice age. What nature has provided, the inhabitants have, on the whole, improved, with drainage of most of the dales (valleys), clearance of the valley bottoms to build the typical dry stone walls, and the sympathetic stone and whitewashed buildings that blend into the landscape.

Related Topics:
Ice age - Dry stone wall - Whitewash

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is a range of landscapes, including open moorland (covered with grass, bracken and heather), marshes, woodland (both native woodland and commercial pine plantations), limestone pavement, as well as small tarns and the larger lakes, which provide homes for a wide range of wildlife, including one of the remaining areas in England where the red squirrel still lives, as well as colonies of sundew, one of the few carnivorous plants native to Britain.

Related Topics:
Moorland - Grass - Bracken - Heather - Marsh - Woodland - Pine - Limestone pavement - Tarns - Red squirrel - Sundew - Carnivorous plant - Britain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The area forms a radial drainage pattern, with the waters, broadly speaking, radiating out from the central hub of fells around the highest point in England: the peak of Scafell Pike, some 978 metres (3210 feet) above sea level, with a secondary hub from Helvellyn. Many of the major glacial valleys contain lakes, which also radiate from the central hub.

Related Topics:
Fells - Scafell Pike - Metres - Feet - Helvellyn

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Detailed geography

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Lake District can be roughly divided into nine parts; the first seven were each the focus of one of Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guides.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The most northerly part is dominated by the two giants, Skiddaw (3,054 feet) and Blencathra, and their many satellites. Behind them stands the wide expanse of Back o'Skidda with Knott as its highest point. This area is separated from the rest of the Lakes by a deep moat of low ground - Bassenthwaite Lake, Keswick and the Glenderamackin valley. With the exception of Blencathra these hills are smooth, rounded and grassy.

Related Topics:
Skiddaw - Blencathra - Knott - Bassenthwaite Lake - Keswick

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The North Western area stands between the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere, with Honister Pass joining the two dales. This area comprises the Newlands Fells (Dale Head, Robinson, Catbells) and the ridge joining them. To the north stand Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike and the hills around the valley of Coledale, and in the far north west is Thornthwaite Forest and Lord's Seat. The fells in this area are rounded Skiddaw slate, with no tarns and few rock faces.

Related Topics:
Borrowdale - Buttermere - Honister Pass - Dale Head - Robinson - Catbells - Grasmoor - Grisedale Pike - Lord's Seat - Skiddaw slate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The western part is the area between Buttermere and Wasdale, with Sty Head forming the apex of a large triangle. Ennerdale bisects the area, which consists of the High Stile ridge north of Ennerdale, the Loweswater Fells in the far north west, the Pillar group in the south west, and Great Gable (2,949 ft) near Sty Head. Other tops include Seatallan, Haystacks and Kirk Fell. This area is craggy and steep, with the impressive pinnacle of Pillar Rock its showpiece.

Related Topics:
Wasdale - Sty Head - Ennerdale - High Stile - Loweswater - Pillar - Great Gable - Seatallan - Haystacks - Kirk Fell

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The central part is the lowest in terms of elevation. It takes the form of a long boot-shaped ridge running from Loughrigg Fell above Ambleside to Keswick, with Derwent Water on the west and Thirlmere on the east. At the heel of the 'boot' are the impressive Langdale Pikes with High Raise behind them. The central ridge running north over High Seat is exceptionally boggy.

Related Topics:
Loughrigg Fell - Ambleside - Keswick - Derwent Water - Thirlmere - Langdale Pikes - High Raise - High Seat

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The eastern area again is a long north-to-south ridge - the Helvellyn range, running from Clough Head to Seat Sandal with the 3,118-foot Helvellyn at its highest point. A wall of ten miles of 2500 ft plus summits with grassy western slopes, but impressive rocky corries and crags on the eastern side. The Fairfield group lies to the south of the range, and forms a similar pattern with towering rock faces and hidden valleys spilling into the Patterdale valley. It culminates in the height of Red Screes overlooking the Kirkstone Pass.

Related Topics:
Ridge - Helvellyn range - Clough Head - Seat Sandal - Helvellyn - Corrie - Crag - Fairfield - Patterdale - Red Screes - Kirkstone Pass

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Far Eastern Fells lie on the other side of Patterdale; steep sides leading up to a huge moorland plateau again on a north-south basis. High Street at 2,717 feet is the highest point on the ridge, and has impressive crags overlooking the hidden valley of Mardale and Haweswater. In the south of this region are the fells overlooking Kentmere, and to the east is Shap Fells, a huge area that is more akin to the Pennines than the Lakes, consisting of high flat moorland.

Related Topics:
Patterdale - Plateau - High Street - Mardale - Haweswater - Kentmere - Shap Fells - Pennines - Moorland

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Mid Western fells are a triangular shape, with the corners at the Irish Sea, Borrowdale and Langdale. They comprise the Wastwater Screes overlooking Wasdale, the Glaramara ridge overlooking Borrowdale, the three tops of Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Esk Pike overlooking Langdale and Scafell Pike in the centre, at 3,209 feet the highest ground in England. Scafell one mile to the south west is slightly lower but has an 700-foot rock face on its north face, Scafell Crag. The valley of Eskdale penetrates this upland wilderness. These fells are the most rugged and craggy of all, and consequently going is slower amongst the tumbled granite.

Related Topics:
Irish Sea - Borrowdale - Langdale - Wastwater Screes - Glaramara - Crinkle Crags - Bowfell - Esk Pike - Scafell Pike - Scafell - Eskdale - Granite

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The South Western Fells have as their northern boundary the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes. The Furness Fells stand between Coniston and the Duddon Valley, which runs NE-SW through the centre of the area. On the other side of the Duddon is Harter Fell and the long ridge leading over Whitfell to Black Combe and the sea. The south of this region is lower forests and knolls, with Kirkby Moor on the southern boundary.

Related Topics:
Hardknott - Wrynose - Furness Fells - Coniston - Duddon Valley - Harter Fell - Whitfell - Black Combe - Kirkby Moor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The South Eastern area is the territory between Coniston Water and Windermere, and also east of Windermere. There are no high summits in this group; it is mainly low hills, knolls and bumpy terrain such as Gummer's How, Whitbarrow and Top o' Selside. The wide expanse of Grizedale Forest stands between the two lakes. Kendal and Morecambe Bay mark the edge.

Related Topics:
Coniston Water - Windermere - Gummer's How - Whitbarrow - Top o' Selside - Grizedale Forest - Kendal - Morecambe Bay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

25 highest fells

The 25 highest fells, of those selected by Alfred Wainwright, are:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Scafell Pike, 978 m / 3210 ft
• Scafell, 965 m / 3162 ft
• Helvellyn, 951 m / 3118 ft
• Skiddaw, 931 m / 3054 ft
• Great End, 910 m / 2986 ft
• Bowfell, 902 m / 2960 ft
• Great Gable, 899 m / 2949 ft
• Pillar, 892 m / 2926 ft
• Nethermost Pike, 891 m / 2923 ft
• Catstycam, 889 m / 2917 ft
• Esk Pike, 885 m / 2903 ft
• Raise, 883 m / 2896 ft
• Fairfield, 873 m / 2863 ft
• Blencathra, 868 m / 2847 ft
• Skiddaw Little Man, 865 m / 2837 ft
• White Side, 863 m / 2831 ft
• Crinkle Crags, 859 m / 2818 ft
• Dollywaggon Pike, 858 m / 2815 ft
• Great Dodd, 857 m / 2807 ft
• Grasmoor, 852 m / 2795 ft
• Stybarrow Dodd, 843 m / 2772 ft
• St Sunday Crag, 841 m / 2759 ft
• Scoat Fell, 841 m / 2759 ft
• Crag Hill, 839 m / 2753 ft
• High Street, 828 m / 2717 ft

More extensive lists of fells can be found on the list of fells in the Lake District and in the list of Wainwrights.

Related Topics:
List of fells in the Lake District - List of Wainwrights

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

20 most prominent summits

The 20 tops in the region with the greatest relative height are:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Scafell Pike, 912 m
• Helvellyn, 712 m
• Skiddaw, 709 m
• Grasmoor, 519 m
• Blencathra, 461 m
• Great Gable, 425 m
• Coniston Old Man, 416 m
• Dale Head, 397 m
• High Street, 373 m
• High Stile, 362 m
• Pillar, 348 m
• Illgill Head, 314 m
• Fairfield, 299 m
• High Raise, 283 m
• Harter Fell, 276 m
• Low Fell, 270 m
• Place Fell, 262 m
• Red Screes, 260 m
• Mellbreak, 260 m

A more extensive list of prominent summits is given in the list of Marilyns.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite its name, there is only one body of water in the park with the word Lake in the name, namely Bassenthwaite Lake. All the others such as Windermere, Coniston Water, Ullswater and Buttermere use other forms, with 'mere' being particularly common. Many of the most picturesque names date to the Viking invasion, especially fell, the natural English word in the North for mountain.

Related Topics:
Water - Bassenthwaite Lake - Windermere - Coniston Water - Ullswater - Buttermere - Viking - Fell - English - Mountain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Amongst the area's many attractive towns are Grasmere (once home to William Wordsworth), Ambleside and Windermere.

Related Topics:
Grasmere - William Wordsworth - Ambleside - Windermere

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~