Editing Derwentwater

{{Short description|Lake in the Lake District, Cumbria, England}}
{{distinguish|Derwent Reservoir (Derbyshire)|Derwent Reservoir (North East England)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox body of water
 | name                   = Derwentwater
 | image                  = Derwent-water.jpg
 | caption                = Derwentwater
 | alt                    = A lake with a ridge of hills in the background
 | image_bathymetry       = 
 | caption_bathymetry     = (1925)
 | location               = [[Lake District]], England
 | coords                 = {{coord|54|35|N|3|09|W|region:GB_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
 | type                   = 
 | inflow                 = [[River Derwent, Cumbria|River Derwent]], [[Watendlath|Watendlath Beck]], Brockle Beck
 | outflow                = River Derwent
 | catchment              = 
 | basin_countries        = United Kingdom
 | length                 = {{cvt|4.6|km|mi}}<ref name=EA20Lakes/>
 | width                  = {{cvt|1.91|km|miyd}}<ref name=EA20Lakes/>
 | area                   = {{cvt|2|sqmi|km2|0}}
 | depth                  = {{cvt|5.5|m|ftin}}<ref name=EA20Lakes/>
 | max-depth              = {{cvt|22|m|ft|0}}<ref name=EA20Lakes/>
 | volume                 = {{cvt|29|e6m3|e6cuft}}<ref name=EA20Lakes/>
 | residence_time         = 55 days<ref name=EA20Lakes/>
 | shore                  = {{cvt|9.5|mi}}
 | elevation              = {{cvt|75|m|ft|0}}
 | islands                = 4 plus 9 small (13)
 | cities                 = 
 | reference              = <ref name="EA20Lakes">{{Citation |last=McNamara |first=Jane |title=Table of lake facts |url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/103196/1118608 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628092540/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/103196/1118608 |publisher=[[Environment Agency]] of England and Wales |access-date=2007-11-13 |archive-date=June 28, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 | pushpin_map            = United Kingdom Lake District#United Kingdom Allerdale
 | pushpin_label_position = 
 | pushpin_map_caption    = Location in the [[Lake District National Park]]##Location in [[Allerdale]], [[Cumbria]]
}}

'''Derwentwater''', or '''Derwent Water''', is a lake in the [[Lake District]] in [[North West England]], immediately south of [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]]. It is in the unitary authority of [[Cumberland (unitary authority)|Cumberland]] within the ceremonial county of [[Cumbria]]. It is the third largest lake by area, after [[Windermere]] and [[Ullswater]]. It has a length of {{Convert|4.6|km|mi}}, a maximum width of {{Convert|1.91|km|mi}}, and an area of {{Convert|5.4|km2|sqmi}}. Its primary inflow and outflow is the [[River Derwent, Cumbria|River Derwent]], which also flows through [[Bassenthwaite Lake]] before reaching the [[Irish Sea]] at [[Workington]]. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited.
Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being Keswick, [[Portinscale]] and the [[Lodore Falls]], from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and there is an extensive network of footpaths in the hills and woods surrounding the lake.

The Keswick to Borrowdale road runs along the eastern shore of the lake and carries a regular bus service. There is a lesser, or unclassified, road along the western shore connecting the villages of [[Grange in Borrowdale|Grange]] and Portinscale.

Derwentwater gave its name to the [[Earl of Derwentwater|Earldom of Derwentwater]].

From 2008 to 2014, the lake was believed to be the last remaining native habitat of the [[Coregonus vandesius|vendace]] (''Coregonus vandesius'') fish from the four originally known sites: [[Bassenthwaite Lake]] and Derwentwater in the [[Lake District]], and the [[Lochmaben#Recreation|Castle Loch & Mill Loch]] in [[Lochmaben]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-02-27 |title=Ice Age fish thrives in new home |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7266730.stm |access-date=2010-05-01}}</ref> However, a breeding population was discovered at Bassenthwaite Lake by conservationists in September 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Extinct fish found in the Lake District after millions is spent on clean-up work |website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |date=9 October 2014 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/extinct-fish-found-lake-district-after-millions-spent-clean-work-9782933.html}}</ref> The lake (and many others) is polluted with the [[Invasive species|invasive]] [[Crassula helmsii|New Zealand Pigmyweed]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lake District: New Zealand Pigmyweed spreads in Derwent catchment |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cumbria-66440401 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=9 August 2023}}</ref>

==Etymology==

'Derwent' is " '(River) with oak trees', traditionally explained from Brit." (i.e.: [[Common Brittonic|Brythonic Celtic]]) or Old Welsh, " 'derwā' 'oak' plus suffixes, hence of the same origin as other English rivers named Derwent, Darwen, Darent and Dart...The river gave its name to Derwent Water (which was also known as the 'Lake of Derwent', 'Keswick Lake', or 'Keswick Water' in the 18th-19th centuries)...".<ref name="Whaley">{{Cite book |last=Whaley |first=Diana |title=A dictionary of Lake District place-names |publisher=English Place-Name Society |year=2006 |isbn=0904889726 |location=Nottingham |pages=lx,423 p.95}}</ref>
Plus "OE 'wæter', with the meaning probably influenced by its ON relative 'vatn'."<ref>Whaley, 2006, p.422</ref>

==Derwentwater's islands==
There are numerous islands in Derwentwater, the largest being [[Derwent Island]], [[Lord's Island]], [[St Herbert's Island]], [[Rampsholme Island]], [[Park Neb]], [[Otter Island (Derwentwater)|Otter Island]] and [[Otterbield Island]]. There is a house on Derwent Island.<ref name="VCHISTORY">{{cite web|title=Keswick - Derwent Isle House|url=http://www.visitcumbria.com/kes/derwent-isle-house.htm|publisher=Visit Cumbria|accessdate=6 December 2010}}</ref>

St. Herbert's Island is named after a 7th-century hermit priest; [[Herbert of Derwentwater]].<ref name=Herbert>{{Cite web |url=http://www.keswickcatholicchurch.co.uk/html/st_herbert___his_island.html |last=Welch |first=Annette |title=St. Herbert and his Island |publisher=Our Lady of the Lakes, Keswick |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509231029/http://www.keswickcatholicchurch.co.uk/html/st_herbert___his_island.html |archive-date=2006-05-09}}</ref>

==In art and literature==
[[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]]'s poetical illustration [[wikisource:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837/Derwent Water|''Derwent Water'']] is attached to a plate of ''Derwent Water, from the Castle Head, Cumberland'' (artist [[Thomas Allom]]) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837.<ref> {{cite book|last =Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|title=Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=39BbAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PA102|section=picture|year=1836|publisher=Fisher, Son & Co.}}{{cite book|last =Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|title=Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=39BbAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PA104|section=poetical illustration|page=33|year=1836|publisher=Fisher, Son & Co.}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
A slightly cropped and colour hue-edited real photo with an open view of the Derwentwater was used by [[Team Silent]] as a backdrop image at the very beginning of the [[Konami]]'s "[[Silent Hill 2]]" video game, to serve as a higher ground touristic observational viewpoint of the fictional "Toluca Lake" (not to be confused with [[Toluca Lake, Los Angeles]]) in the local area encompassing the fictional eponymous town of "[[Silent Hill]]", [[Maine]]. Derwentwater was used in the 2018 video game [[Forza Horizon 4]]. The album artwork for the 2010 album [[Black Sands (album)|Black Sands]] by [[Bonobo]] features a photograph taken of Derwentwater. The tower in the background is located in Castlerigg (54°35′29.95″N 3°7′3.43″WCoordinates: 54°35′29.95″N 3°7′3.43″W). On his album ''Republic of Geordieland'', singer-songwriter [[Richard Dawson (musician)|Richard Dawson]] has a song titled "Derwentwater Farewell." Derwentwater was used as the principal location for the planet Takodana in the sci fi movie sequel ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]''.

==Panoramas==
{{wide image|Derwent Water, Keswick - June 2009.jpg|790px|Derwentwater from the northern shore near Keswick}}
{{wide image|Derwent Water Panorama, Lake District - June 2009.jpg|790px|A panoramic view of Derwentwater from [[Cat Bells]] on the western side}}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Derwent Water from Cat Bells, Lake District.jpg|From [[Cat Bells]]
File:Derwentwater (DSCF8800).jpg|Keswick ferry terminal
File:Derwent Water with mist.jpg
File:Canoes at Derwent Water.jpg|Some canoes and a dock at the edge of Derwent Water
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal-inline|Cumbria}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Derwent Water}}
{{wikisource|Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837/Derwent Water|Derwent Water,<br />a poetical illustration<br />by L. E. L.}}
*[https://www.keswick.org/explore/lakes/derwentwater Lakes Derwenwater Guide]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3CH00My9-c Robin Pecknold - "Derwentwater stones"]
{{Principal Lakes in English Lake District}}
{{Beatrix Potter}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cumberland]]
[[Category:Lakes of the Lake District]]
[[Category:Derwent (Cumbria) catchment|LDerwentwater]]
[[Category:Cumberland (unitary authority)]]