Editing Lake District

{{Short description|Mountainous region and national park in North West England}}
{{about|the mountainous region in North West England|other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox mountain
| fetchwikidata = NONE
| name = Lake District
| other_name = 
| country = England
| geology = Primarily [[Volcanic rock|volcanic]] and [[Sedimentary rock|sedimentary]]
| age = Primarily [[Ordovician]]
| orogeny = {{hlist|[[Acadian orogeny|Acadian]]|[[Variscan orogeny|Variscan]]}}
| highest = [[Scafell Pike]]
| elevation = {{Convert|978|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| coordinates = {{coord|54.45424|-3.21160|type:mountain_region:GB|format=dms|display=inline}}
| range_coordinates = 
| photo = Keswick Panorama - Oct 2009.jpg
| photo_caption = The [[Skiddaw]] massif, town of [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] and [[Derwentwater|Derwent Water]] seen from [[Walla Crag]]
| location = [[Cumbria]]
| range = 
| subdivision1 = [[Windermere]], [[Ullswater]], [[Derwentwater]]
| subdivision1_type = Largest lakes by area
| module = {{Infobox protected area
| child = yes
| alt_name = Lake District National Park
| name = Lake District National Park
| iucn_category = V
| iucn_ref = <ref>[https://www.protectedplanet.net/959] from the World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 5 MaFeby 2024.</ref>
| map_image = Lake District National Park UK location map.svg
| map_size = 280
| map_caption = The Lake District national park
| coords_ref = <!-- stats -->
| area_km2 = 2362
| area_ref = <ref name=ldnpfaf />
| designation = <!-- dates & info -->
| established = 9 May 1951
| visitation_num = {{Plainlist|
* Visitors a year: 15.8&nbsp;million
* Visitor days a year: 23.1&nbsp;million<ref name="facts">{{Cite news |title=National Park facts and figures |url=http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/press/factsandfigures.htm |work=nationalparks.gov.uk |access-date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627173746/http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/press/factsandfigures.htm |archive-date=27 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 }}
| visitation_year = 
| visitation_ref = 
| governing_body = Lake District National Park Authority
| administrator = 
| operator = 
| owner = <!-- website, embedded -->
| website = 
| embedded = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
  |child = yes
  | Official_name         = The English Lake District
  |ID = 422
  |Year = 2017
  |Criteria = Cultural: ii, v, vi
  | Area        = 229,205.19 ha
}}
}}
| district_type = Largest settlements
| district = [[Kendal]], [[Ambleside]], [[Windermere, Cumbria (town)|Windermere]], [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]]
}}

The '''Lake District''', also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and [[National parks of the United Kingdom|national park]] in [[Cumbria]], [[North West England]]. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mountains, and for its literary associations with [[Beatrix Potter]], [[John Ruskin]], and the [[Lake Poets]].

The Lakeland [[fells]], or mountains, include England's [[List of P600 mountains in the British Isles|highest]]:<ref>Cumbrian Mountains: ''Philips' Elementary Atlas and Geography'', edited by [[John Francon Williams]] published by [[George Philip & Son Ltd.]], 1882: (2) The Cumbrian Mountains are a group in the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and northern Lancashire, near the coast of the Irish Sea. They contain the highest elevation in England – Scaw Fell ([[Scafell Pike]]), 3,208 feet above the level of the sea (retrieved 2018)</ref> [[Scafell Pike]] ({{Convert|978|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}), [[Helvellyn]] ({{Convert|950|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) and [[Skiddaw]] ({{Convert|931|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}). The region also contains sixteen major lakes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-05-24 |title=Lake District facts and figures |url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factsandfigures |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=Lake District National Park |language=en}}</ref> They include [[Windermere]], which with a length of {{Convert|18|km|mi|disp=|order=flip|abbr=out}} and an area of {{Convert|14.73|km2|sqmi|disp=|order=flip|abbr=out}} is the longest and largest lake in England, and [[Wast Water]], which at {{Convert|79|m|ft}} is the deepest lake in England.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 May 2013 |title=Wastwater and the Lake District West Coast - explore and visit |url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/places-to-go/explore-wastwater-eskdale-and-west-coast |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922173333/https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/places-to-go/explore-wastwater-eskdale-and-west-coast |archive-date=22 September 2019 |access-date=19 August 2019 |website=Lake District National Park}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lake District National Park - Explore Windermere |url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/places-to-go/explore-windermere-and-ambleside |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403091931/http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/placestogo/explorewindermere |archive-date=3 April 2016 |access-date=3 April 2016 |publisher=Lakedistrict.gov.uk}}</ref>

The Lake District National Park was established in 1951, and covers an area of {{convert|2362|km2|abbr=in}}, the bulk of the region.<ref name="ldnpfaf">{{cite web |date=24 May 2005 |title=Lake District facts and figures |url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factsandfigures |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919072006/https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factsandfigures |archive-date=19 September 2017 |access-date=15 September 2017 |website=Lake District National Park Authority website |publisher=Lake District National Park Authority}}</ref> It was designated a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 2017.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |date=9 July 2017 |title=English Lake District welcomed into UK UNESCO family as 31st UK World Heritage Site |url=https://www.unesco.org.uk/news/english-lake-district-welcomed-into-uk-unesco-family-as-31st-uk-world-heritage-site |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807063903/https://www.unesco.org.uk/news/english-lake-district-welcomed-into-uk-unesco-family-as-31st-uk-world-heritage-site/ |archive-date=7 August 2018 |access-date=2 December 2017 |work=unesco.org.uk}}</ref>

== National Park ==
[[File:National Parks in England and Wales.svg|thumb|200px|right|Lake District National Park (shown as number 2) in a map of national parks in England and Wales.]]
The '''Lake District National Park''' includes all of the central Lake District, though the town of [[Kendal]], some coastal areas and the [[Cartmel Peninsula|Cartmel]] and [[Furness]] peninsulas are outside the park boundary. The area was designated a [[National parks of England and Wales|national park]] on 9 May 1951, a month after the [[Peak District]], the first UK national park. It retained its original boundaries until 2016, when it was extended by 3% to the east, in the direction of the [[Yorkshire Dales National Park]], to incorporate areas land of high landscape value around the [[Lune Valley]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36905517|title=Yorkshire Dales and Lake District national parks extend|work=BBC News|date=1 August 2016|access-date=14 March 2017|archive-date=15 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115111335/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36905517|url-status=live}}</ref>

The national park received 18.14&nbsp;million tourist visitors in 2022. This equates to 29.15&nbsp;million tourist days, counting visits of greater than three hours.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tourism |url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factstourism |website=Lake District National Park |access-date=19 October 2023 |language=en |date=29 July 2013}}</ref> It is the largest of the thirteen national parks in [[England and Wales]] and the second largest in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] after the [[Cairngorms National Park]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk|title=Lake District National Park – Home page|publisher=Lakedistrict.gov.uk|date=6 April 2005|access-date=21 April 2010|archive-date=7 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207012942/http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> Its aim is to protect the landscape by restricting unwelcome change by industry or commerce. The area of the national park, with the exception of the 2016 extension, was designated a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2017 as a [[cultural landscape]]. This was the fourth attempt to list the park, after two attempts in the 1980s and one in 2012 failed.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |date=9 July 2017 |title=English Lake District welcomed into UK UNESCO family as 31st UK World Heritage Site |url=https://www.unesco.org.uk/news/english-lake-district-welcomed-into-uk-unesco-family-as-31st-uk-world-heritage-site |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807063903/https://www.unesco.org.uk/news/english-lake-district-welcomed-into-uk-unesco-family-as-31st-uk-world-heritage-site/ |archive-date=7 August 2018 |access-date=2 December 2017 |website=unesco.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 June 2012 |title=Lake District misses its World Heritage status bid |url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/9746100.lake-district-misses-its-world-heritage-status-bid/ |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=The Westmorland Gazette |language=en}}</ref>

The park is governed by the Lake District National Park Authority, which is based at offices in [[Kendal]]. It runs a visitor centre on [[Windermere]] at a former country house called [[Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre|Brockhole]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brockhole |url=http://www.brockhole.co.uk |access-date=22 June 2012}}</ref> Coniston Boating Centre,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coniston Boating Centre |url=http://www.conistonboatingcentre.co.uk |publisher=Lake District National Park}}</ref> and information centres. The park authority has 20 members: six appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council, four by Cumberland Council, and ten by the [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The National Park Authorities (England) Order 2015, Schedule 1 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/770/schedule/1 |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=Legislation.gov.uk}}</ref>

== Human geography ==

=== General ===
[[File: Lake District Map.PNG|thumb|The location of the Lake District  and approximate extent, shown in white, within [[Northern England]]]]

The precise extent of the Lake District is undefined, but it is sometimes considered{{who|date=May 2024}} to be slightly larger than that of the National Park, whose total area is about {{convert|2362|km2}}.<ref name=ldnpfaf/> The park extends just over {{convert|51|km}} from east to west and nearly {{convert|64|km}} from north to south,<ref>OS 1:50,000 scale mapping</ref> with areas such as the Lake District Peninsulas to the south lying outside the National Park.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/site-information/search.aspx?terms=lake+district+peninsulas&cf=keywords|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825080327/http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/site-information/search.aspx?terms=lake%2Bdistrict%2Bpeninsulas&cf=keywords|url-status=dead|title=South Lakeland District Council website.|archive-date=25 August 2012|access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref>

=== Settlement ===
There are only a few major settlements within this mountainous area: the towns of [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]]; [[Windermere, Cumbria (town)|Windermere]] and [[Bowness-on-Windermere]] (which are contiguous); and [[Ambleside]], are the three largest. The economies of all these are heavily dependent on tourism. Significant settlements close to the boundary of the national park include [[Carlisle]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]], [[Kendal]], [[Ulverston]], [[Dalton-in-Furness]], [[Whitehaven]], [[Workington]], [[Cockermouth]], [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]], [[Millom]] and [[Grange-over-Sands]]; each of these has important economic links with the area. Other villages are [[Coniston, Cumbria|Coniston]], [[Threlkeld]], [[Glenridding]], [[Pooley Bridge]], [[Broughton-in-Furness]], [[Grasmere (village)|Grasmere]], [[Newby Bridge]], [[Staveley, Cumbria|Staveley]], [[Lindale, Cumbria|Lindale]], [[Gosforth, Cumbria|Gosforth]] and [[Hawkshead]]. Beyond these are a scattering of hamlets and many isolated farmsteads, some of which are still tied to agriculture;{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} others now function as part of the tourist economy.<ref name="autogenerated1">Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale Landranger map sheets 89, 90, 96 & 97</ref>

=== Communications ===

==== Roads ====
[[File:A591 road, Lake District - June 2009 Edit 1.jpg|thumb|The A591 road as it passes through the countryside between Ambleside and Grasmere]]
The Lake District is very nearly contained within a box of [[trunk road|trunk routes]] and major A roads. It is flanked to the east by the [[A6 road (England)|A6 road]], which runs from Kendal to Penrith (though the National Park extension approved in 2015 is east of the A6); across its southern fringes by the [[A590 road|A590]], which connects the M6 to Barrow-in-Furness, and the [[A5092 road|A5092]], and across its northern edge by the [[A66 road|A66]] trunk road between Penrith and [[Workington]]. The [[A595 road|A595]] (linking the A66 with the A5092) forms the park boundary from Calder Bridge to Holmrook, then crosses the coastal plain of the park until turning inland at the Whicham Valley, forming much of the park boundary again until joining the A5092 at Grizebeck.

Besides these, a few [[Great Britain road numbering scheme|A roads]] penetrate the area itself, notably the [[A591]] which runs north-westwards from Kendal to Windermere and then on to Keswick. It continues up the east side of [[Bassenthwaite Lake]]. "The A591, Grasmere, Lake District" was short-listed in the 2011 [[Google Street View]] awards in the Most Romantic Street category. The [[A593 road|A593]] and [[A5084 road (Great Britain)#Four-digit roads (50xx)|A5084]] link the Ambleside and Coniston areas with the A590 to the south whilst the [[A592 road|A592]] and [[A5074 road|A5074]] similarly link Windermere with the A590. The A592 also continues northwards from Windermere to [[Ullswater]] and Penrith by way of the [[Kirkstone Pass]].

Some valleys which are not penetrated by A roads are served by [[Great Britain road numbering scheme|B roads]]. The B5289 serves Lorton Vale and [[Buttermere, Cumbria (village)|Buttermere]] and links via the [[Honister Pass]] with [[Borrowdale]]. The [[B5292 road|B5292]] ascends the [[Whinlatter Pass]] from Lorton Vale before dropping down to [[Braithwaite]] near Keswick. The [[B5322 road|B5322]] serves the valley of [[St John's in the Vale]] whilst [[Great Langdale]] is served by the [[B5343 road|B5343]]. Other valleys such as [[Little Langdale]], [[Eskdale, Cumbria|Eskdale]] and [[Duddon Valley|Dunnerdale]] are served by minor roads. The last of these is connected with the first two by the [[Wrynose Pass|Wrynose]] and [[Hardknott Pass|Hardknott]] passes respectively; both of these passes are known for their steep gradients and are together one of the most popular [[Climbing specialist|climbs]] in the United Kingdom for cycling enthusiasts.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Britain's top 10 toughest cycle climbs |last=Warren |first=Simon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/jul/20/britains-top-10-toughest-cycle-climbs |newspaper=The Guardian |date=20 July 2012 |access-date=6 September 2012 |archive-date=26 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826015224/http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/jul/20/britains-top-10-toughest-cycle-climbs |url-status=live }}</ref> A minor road through the [[Newlands Valley]] connects via [[Newlands Hause]] with the B5289 at Buttermere. [[Wasdale]] is served by a cul-de-sac minor road,{{efn|Walkers from other valleys are often surprised at the length (and cost) of a taxi journey back to their starting point if they descend from the fells into Wasdale. For instance, Seatoller to Wasdale head is about 6 miles on foot, but 49 miles by road.}} as is [[Longsleddale]] and the valleys at [[Haweswater Reservoir|Haweswater]] and [[Kentmere]]. There are networks of minor roads in the lower-lying southern part of the area, connecting numerous communities between Kendal, Windermere, and Coniston.<ref name="autogenerated1" />

==== Railways and ferries ====
The [[West Coast Main Line]] skirts the eastern edge of the Lake District and the [[Cumbrian Coast Line]] passes through the southern and western fringes of the area. A single railway line, the [[Windermere Branch Line]], penetrates from Kendal to Windermere via Staveley. Railways once served Broughton-in-Furness and Coniston (closed to passengers in 1958) and another ran from Penrith to Cockermouth via Keswick (closed west of Keswick in 1966 and completely in 1972). Part of the track of the latter is used by the improved A66 trunk road.

The [[Cumbrian Coast line]] has three stations within the boundaries of the national park (and additionally [[Drigg]], about a third of a mile from the park boundary). The line gives railway enthusiasts and others a flavour of a pre-[[Beeching cuts|Beeching]] railway line, with features like manually operated level crossing gates, as well as giving a good connection to the steam railway into Eskdale and providing access for cyclists and serious walkers to the Western Fells.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitcumbria.com/the-cumbrian-coast-railway/|website=Visit Cumbria|title=The Furness Railway and the Cumbrian Coast Railway|access-date=25 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031708/https://www.visitcumbria.com/the-cumbrian-coast-railway/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The narrow gauge [[Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway]] runs from [[Ravenglass]] on the west coast up Eskdale as far as Dalegarth Station near the hamlet of Boot, catering for tourists. Another [[heritage railway]], the [[Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway]], runs between Lake Windermere and [[Haverthwaite]], and tourists can connect at Lakeside with the boats up the lake to Bowness.

A vehicle-carrying [[cable ferry]], the [[Windermere Ferry]], runs frequent services across Windermere. There are also seasonal passenger boats on Coniston Water, Derwent Water, and Ullswater.

==== Footpaths and bridleways ====
There are many paths over which the public has a [[Rights of way in England and Wales|right of way]], all of which are signposted at their origin on public roads and at some other points.<ref>{{cite web |title=FAQs - Rights of Way |url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/rowupdates/rowfaqs |website=Lake District National Park |access-date=7 December 2023 |language=en |date=6 September 2017}}</ref> Within the area of the National Park in 2012 there were {{convert|2159|km|abbr=on}} of [[Public footpath (England and Wales)|public footpaths]],
{{convert|875|km|abbr=on}} of [[Public bridleway (England and Wales)|public bridleways]],
{{convert|15|km|0|abbr=on}} of [[restricted byway]]s and
{{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} of [[Byway open to all traffic|byways open to all traffic]]. There is also a general "[[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000|right to roam]]" in open country, which includes approximately 50% of the national park.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently asked questions: Rights of Way |url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/552950/1.2-RoW-FAQs.pdf |publisher=Lake District National Park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519131402/http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/green_roads |archive-date=19 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Many of these tracks arose centuries ago and were used either as ridge highways (such as along [[High Street (Lake District)|High Street]]) or as [[List of hill passes of the Lake District|passes for travelling across the ridges]] between settlements in the valleys. Historically these paths were not planned for reaching summits, but more recently they are used by fell walkers for that purpose.<ref name="ihc">{{cite web|title=Roads |url=http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/a-z-of-industries/roads/ |website=Industrial History of Cumbria |publisher=Cumbria Industrial History Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525084346/http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/a-z-of-industries/roads/ |archive-date=25 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Coast to Coast Walk]], which crosses the north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, traverses the national park from west to east.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Coast to Coast Walk |url=http://www.coastto.co.uk |access-date=6 February 2022 |website=Coast-to-Coast}}</ref>

Bridleways are intended for horse riding and walkers, with cyclists also permitted to use them. Cyclists must give way to all other bridleway users. Motor vehicles are only allowed on "byways open to all traffic" ([[Green lane (road)|green lanes]]) but in practice Traffic Regulation Orders have been brought in on several prohibiting motor traffic, although a system of permits operates on [[Gatescarth Pass]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Green Road driving |date=24 July 2013 |url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/green_roads |publisher=Lake District National Park |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6hb6lwL7B?url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/green_roads |archive-date=18 May 2016 |language=en |url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web |title=Hierarchy of Trails Routes |url=http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/public-transport-road-safety/countryside-access/hotr/hierarchy_of_trails_routes.asp |website=www.cumbria.gov.uk |publisher=Chief Executives Office, Cumbria County Council |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6hb70zxtL?url=http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/public-transport-road-safety/countryside-access/hotr/hierarchy_of_trails_routes.asp |archive-date=18 May 2016 |url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web |title=Gatescarth Pass |url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/green_roads/green_road_gatescarth |website=Lake District National Park |date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6hOooHi0y?url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/thingstodo/green_roads/green_road_gatescarth |archive-date=10 May 2016 |language=en |url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web |title=Motorised vehicle ban for Lake District's Walna Scar |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-16942068 |website=BBC News |date=6 February 2012 |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925225731/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-16942068 |url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web |title=Walna Scar Road – Restricted Byway Confirmed |url=http://www.gleam-uk.org/contentious-issues/walna-scar-road-restricted-byway-order-renewed/ |website=GLEAM |publisher=Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6hbFJ1aFS?url=http://www.gleam-uk.org/contentious-issues/walna-scar-road-restricted-byway-order-renewed/ |archive-date=18 May 2016 |date=January 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Land ownership ====
Most of the land within the national park is in private ownership, with about 55% registered as agricultural land. Landowners include:

* Individual farmers and other private landowners, with more than half of the agricultural land farmed by the owners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The state of farming and land management in the Lake District |url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/170701/c_farming_land_man.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011943/http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/170701/c_farming_land_man.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=2 December 2017 |publisher=lakedistrict.gov.uk}}</ref>
* The [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]] owns around 25% of the total area (including some lakes and land of significant landscape value).
* The Forestry Commission and other investors in forests and woodland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forestry Commission Cumbria |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/NWWM_CumbriaWoodlandStrategy.pdf/$FILE/NWWM_CumbriaWoodlandStrategy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083646/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/NWWM_CumbriaWoodlandStrategy.pdf/$FILE/NWWM_CumbriaWoodlandStrategy.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=14 July 2019 |publisher=forestry.gov.uk}}</ref>
* [[United Utilities]] (owns 8%)
* Lake District National Park Authority (owns 3.9%)

== Physical geography ==
The Lake District is a roughly circular upland [[massif]], deeply dissected by a broadly [[radial drainage|radial pattern]] of major valleys which are largely the result of repeated [[Ice ages|glaciations]] over the last 2&nbsp;million years. The apparent radial pattern is not from a central dome, but from an axial watershed extending from St Bees Head in the west to Shap in the east. Most of these valleys display the U-shaped cross-section characteristic of glacial origin and often contain long narrow lakes in [[bedrock]] hollows, with tracts of relatively flat ground at their infilled heads, or where they are divided by lateral tributaries (Buttermere-Crummock Water; Derwent Water-Bassenthwaite Lake).{{efn|A stream flowing into a lake may create a [[River delta|delta]]. The delta of a side stream can completely cross a narrow lake dividing it into two by a stretch of flat land.}} Smaller lakes known as [[tarn (lake)|tarns]] occupy [[cirque (landform)|glacial cirques]] at higher elevations. It is the abundance of both which has led to the area becoming known as the Lake District.

Many of the higher [[fell]]s are rocky, while [[moorland]] predominates lower down. Vegetation cover in better-drained areas includes [[bracken]] and [[Calluna|heather]], although much of the land is [[bog]]gy, due to the high rainfall. Deciduous native woodland occurs on many of the steeper slopes below the [[tree line]], but with native oak supplemented by extensive conifer plantations in many areas, particularly [[Grizedale Forest]] in the generally lower southern part of the area. The Lake District extends to the sea to the west and south.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bing.com/maps/sharing|title=Maps|website=www.bing.com|access-date=19 August 2019|archive-date=19 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819001502/https://www.bing.com/maps/sharing|url-status=live}}</ref>

The highest mountain in England, [[Scafell Pike]] (978 m or 3209 feet), has a far-reaching view on a clear day, ranging from the Galloway Hills of Scotland, the [[Mourne Mountains]] in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and [[Snowdonia]] in Wales.

{{wide image|Annotated Scafel Pike Panorama.jpg|3000px|A panorama from the summit of Scafell Pike, August 2007}}
{{wide image|Wasdale screes.jpg|1000px|Panorama of the Wasdale screes descending into [[Wastwater]], the deepest lake in England.}}

=== Cumbrian Mountains ===
[[File:Scafell massif.jpg|thumb|The [[Scafell]] massif, the highest ground in England, seen over [[Wasdale]].]]
{{location map+|United Kingdom Lake District|relief=1|width=300|maplink=|float=|caption={{center|Major fells and towns shown within the [[Lake District National Park|National Park]]}}|places=
<!-- Fells -->
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label='''[[Scafell Pike]]'''
|label_size=100|mark=Red triangle with thick white border.svg|link=|marksize=16|position=right
|lat=54.454222|long=-3.211528}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label='''[[Scafell]]'''
|label_size=100|mark=Red triangle with thick white border.svg|link=|marksize=12|position=left
|lat=54.448|long=-3.225}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label='''[[Scafell]]'''
|label_size=100|mark=Red triangle with thick white border.svg|link=|marksize=12|position=left
|lat=54.448|long=-3.225}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label='''[[Helvellyn]]'''
|label_size=100|mark=Red triangle with thick white border.svg|link=|marksize=12|position=left
|lat=54.527|long=-3.016}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label='''[[Skiddaw]]'''
|label_size=100|mark=Red triangle with thick white border.svg|link=|marksize=12|position=right
|lat=54.647|long=-3.146}}
<!-- High Raise gets in the way and isn't very high
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[High Raise (Langdale)|Raise]]
|label_size=100|mark=Blue Fire.svg|link=|marksize=9|position=right
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{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[High Raise (Langdale)|High]]
|label_size=100|mark=Blue Fire.svg|link=|marksize=9|position=left
|lat=54.476|long=-3.113}}-->
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[High Street (Lake District)|High Street]]
|label_size=100|mark=Blue Fire.svg|link=|marksize=9|position=right
|lat=54.492|long=-2.865}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Grasmoor]]
|label_size=100|mark=Blue Fire.svg|link=|marksize=9|position=left
|lat=54.571|long=-3.279}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Coniston Old Man]]
|label_size=100|mark=Blue Fire.svg|link=|marksize=9|position=left
|lat=54.37|long=-3.119}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Great Gable]]
|label_size=100|mark=Blue Fire.svg|link=|marksize=9|position=left
|lat=54.482|long=-3.219}}
<!-- Places -->
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Kendal}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=right|lat=54.326|long=-2.745}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Penrith}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=right|lat=54.6648|long=-2.7548}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Keswick}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=right|lat=54.59|long=-3.14}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Ambleside}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=right|lat=54.4251|long=-2.9626}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Cockermouth}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=left|lat=54.6613|long=-3.362}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Windermere}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=right|lat=54.376|long=-2.907}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label={{font color|green|Grasmere}}|label_size=|mark=Location dot green.svg|link=|marksize=6|position=top|lat=54.45809|long=-3.02459}}
}}
{{See also|list of fells in the Lake District|list of hills in the Lake District}}
The mountains (or '[[fells]]') of the Lake District are known as the "Cumbrian Mountains", "Cumbrian Fells" or "Lakeland Fells". The four highest fells exceed {{convert|3000|ft|m|0}}. These are:
* [[Scafell Pike]], {{convert|978|m|ft|abbr=on}}
* [[Scafell]], {{convert|965|m|ft|abbr=on}}
* [[Helvellyn]], {{convert|951|m|ft|abbr=on}}
* [[Skiddaw]], {{convert|931|m|ft|abbr=on}}

==== Northern Fells ====
The [[Northern Fells]] are a clearly defined range of hills contained within a {{convert|13|km|mi|0|abbr=on|adj=on}} diameter circle between [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] in the southwest and [[Caldbeck]] in the northeast. They culminate in the {{convert|931|m|ft|abbr=on|adj=on}} peak of [[Skiddaw]]. Other notable peaks are [[Blencathra]] (also known as Saddleback) ({{convert|868|m|ft|abbr=on}}) and [[Carrock Fell]]. [[Bassenthwaite Lake]] occupies the valley between this massif and the North Western Fells.

==== North Western Fells ====
The [[North Western Fells]] lie between [[Borrowdale]] and Bassenthwaite Lake to the east and Buttermere and Lorton Vale to the west. Their southernmost point is at [[Honister Pass]]. This area includes the Derwent Fells above the [[Newlands Valley]] and hills to the north amongst which are [[Dale Head]], [[Robinson (Lake District)|Robinson]]. To the north stand [[Grasmoor]], highest in the range at {{convert|852|m|ft|abbr=on}}, [[Grisedale Pike]] and the hills around the valley of [[Coledale (Cumbria)|Coledale]], and in the far northwest is Thornthwaite Forest and [[Lord's Seat]]. The fells in this area are rounded [[Skiddaw slate]], with few tarns and relatively few rock faces.

==== Western Fells ====
[[File:Westmorland cairn Great Gable.jpg|thumb|The view towards [[Wast Water]] from the cairn built by the Westmorland brothers in 1876 to the SW of the summit of [[Great Gable]], which they considered the finest view in the district.]]
The [[Western Fells]] lie between Buttermere and [[Wasdale]], with [[Sty Head]] forming the apex of a large triangle. [[Ennerdale Water|Ennerdale]] bisects the area, which consists of the [[High Stile]] ridge north of Ennerdale, the [[Loweswater Fells]] in the far northwest, the [[Pillar (Lake District)|Pillar]] group in the southwest, and [[Great Gable]] ({{convert|2949|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}) near Sty Head. Other tops include [[Seatallan]], [[Haystacks (Lake District)|Haystacks]] and [[Kirk Fell]]. This area is craggy and steep, with the impressive pinnacle of Pillar Rock its showpiece. [[Wastwater]], located in this part, is England's deepest lake.

==== Central Fells ====
The [[Central Fells]] are lower in elevation than surrounding areas of fell, peaking at {{convert|762|m|ft|abbr=on}} at [[High Raise, Langdale|High Raise]]. They take the form of a ridge running between [[Derwent Water]] in the west and [[Thirlmere]] in the east, from [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] in the north to [[Langdale Pikes]] in the south. A spur extends southeast to [[Loughrigg Fell]] above Ambleside. The central ridge running north over [[High Seat, Lake District|High Seat]] is exceptionally boggy.

==== Eastern Fells ====
[[File:Glenridding, Cumbria, England - June 2009.jpg|thumb|The village of [[Glenridding]] and [[Ullswater]]]]
The [[Eastern Fells]] consist of a long north-to-south [[ridge]], the [[Helvellyn range]], running from [[Clough Head]] to [[Seat Sandal]] with the {{convert|3118|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} [[Helvellyn]] at its highest point. The western slopes of these summits tend to be grassy, with rocky [[Cirque|corries]] and [[cliff|crags]] on the eastern side. The [[Fairfield (Lake District)|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]].

==== Far Eastern Fells ====
[[File:Haweswater from Harter Fell 3.jpg|thumb|[[Haweswater Reservoir]] from [[Harter Fell (Mardale)|Harter Fell]]]]
The [[Far Eastern Fells]] refers to all of the Lakeland fells to the east of Ullswater and the A592 road running south to Windermere. At {{convert|828|m|ft|abbr=on}}, the peak known as [[High Street (Lake District)|High Street]] is the highest point on a complex ridge that runs broadly north-south and overlooks the hidden valley of [[Haweswater Reservoir|Haweswater]] to its east. In the north of this region are the lower fells of Martindale Common and Bampton Common whilst in the south are the fells overlooking the [[Kentmere]] valley. Further to the east, beyond [[Mardale]] and [[Longsleddale]] is [[Shap]] Fell, an extensive area consisting of high [[moorland]], more rolling and [[Pennines|Pennine]] in nature than the mountains to the west.

==== Southern Fells ====
[[File:Coniston Water from Holme Fell.jpg|thumb|right|[[Coniston Water]] from [[Holme Fell]]]]
The [[Southern Fells]] occupy the southwestern quarter of the Lake District. They can be regarded as comprising a northern grouping between Wasdale, Eskdale, and the two Langdale valleys, a southeastern group east of Dunnerdale and south of Little Langdale, and a southwestern group bounded by Eskdale to the north and Dunnerdale to the east.

The first group includes England's highest mountains: [[Scafell Pike]] in the centre, at {{convert|3209|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} and [[Scafell]] {{convert|1|mi|spell=in}} to the southwest. Though it is slightly lower, Scafell has a {{convert|700|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}} rockface, Scafell Crag, on its northern side. This group also includes the [[Wastwater Screes]] overlooking Wasdale, the [[Glaramara]] ridge overlooking Borrowdale, the three tops of [[Crinkle Crags]], [[Bowfell]] and [[Esk Pike]]. The core of the area is drained by the infant [[River Esk (Ravenglass)|River Esk]]. Collectively these are some of the Lake District's most rugged hillsides.

The second group, otherwise known as the [[Furness Fells]] or Coniston Fells, have as their northern boundary the steep and narrow [[Hardknott Pass|Hardknott]] and [[Wrynose Pass|Wrynose]] passes. The highest are [[Old Man of Coniston]] and [[Swirl How]] which slightly exceed {{convert|800|m|-2|abbr=on}}.

The third group to the west of the Duddon includes [[Harter Fell, Eskdale|Harter Fell]] and the long ridge leading over [[Whitfell]] to [[Black Combe]] and the sea. The south of this region consists of lower forests and knolls, with [[Kirkby Moor]] on the southern boundary. The southwestern Lake District ends near the [[Furness]] peninsula and Barrow-in-Furness, a town which many Lake District residents rely on for basic amenities. [[Miterdale Head Wood]] is a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest|site of special scientific interest]] in the region.

==== Southeastern area ====
The southeastern area is the territory between [[Coniston Water]] and [[Windermere]] and east of Windermere towards Kendal and south to Lindale. There are no high summits in this area which are mainly low hills, knolls and limestone [[cuesta]]s such as [[Gummer's How]] and [[Whitbarrow]]. Indeed, it rises only as high as {{convert|333|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} at [[Top o' Selside]] east of Coniston Water; the wide expanse of [[Grizedale Forest]] stands between the two lakes. [[Kendal]] and [[Morecambe Bay]] stand at the eastern and southern edges of the area.

=== Valleys ===
[[File:The Tongue Valley (looking from Dollywaggon Pike), near Troutbeck, Cumbria, at the Lake District National Park, United Kingdom, Europe (November 2008).jpg|thumb|The Tongue, towards Grisedale Valley with [[Ullswater]] in the distance. (looking from ''Dollywaggon Pike'')]]
The main radial valleys are (clockwise from the south) [[Dunnerdale]], [[Eskdale, Cumbria|Eskdale]], [[Wasdale]], [[Ennerdale Water|Ennerdale]], the Vale of Lorton, and Buttermere valley, the [[River Derwent, Cumbria|Derwent Valley]] and [[Borrowdale]], the Ullswater valley, Haweswater valley, [[Longsleddale]], the [[Kentmere]] valley, those converging on the head of Windermere - Grasmere, [[Great Langdale]] and Little Langdale, and the Coniston Water valley. The valleys break the mountains up into blocks, which have been described by various authors in different ways. The most frequently encountered approach is that made popular by [[Alfred Wainwright]] who published seven separate area guides to the Lakeland Fells.

=== Lakes ===
{{Wide image|Derwent Water, Keswick - June 2009.jpg|1200px|Derwent Water, one of 21 large water bodies in the Lake District}}
{{See also|List of lakes in the Lake District}}
{{location map+|United Kingdom Lake District|relief=1|width=300|maplink=|float=|caption={{center|Major lakes shown within the [[Lake District National Park|National Park]]}}|places=
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Bassenthwaite Lake|Bassenthwaite]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.65|long=-3.216667}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Brothers Water|Brotherswater]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=bottom|lat=54.505556|long=-2.925}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Buttermere|Butter-<br />mere]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.533333|long=-3.266667}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Coniston Water|Coniston]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.335|long=-3.08}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Crummock Water|Crummock]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.56|long=-3.308}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Derwent Water|Derwent<br />Water]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.574|long=-3.145}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Elter Water|Elterwater]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.427469|long=-3.025875}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Ennerdale Water|Ennerdale]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.52|long=-3.376111}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Esthwaite Water|Esthwaite]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.359|long=-2.99}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Grasmere (lake)|Grasmere]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.448834|long=-3.020897}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Haweswater Reservoir|Hawes-<br />water]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.518889|long=-2.804722}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Loweswater]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.5825|long=-3.355278}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Rydal Water]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.446944|long=-2.996389}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Thirlmere]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.533333|long=-3.066667}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Ullswater]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.5775|long=-2.8751}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Wastwater]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=left|lat=54.441667|long=-3.291667}}
{{location map~|United Kingdom Lake District
|label=[[Windermere]]|label_size=|mark=Blue pog.svg|link=|marksize=7|position=right|lat=54.390|long=-2.944}}
}}
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, [[tarn (lake)|tarns]] and waters, with ''[[mere (lake)|mere]]'' being the least common and ''water'' being the most common. The major lakes and reservoirs in the National Park are given below.
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Bassenthwaite Lake]]
*[[Brotherswater]]
*[[Buttermere]]
*[[Coniston Water]]
*[[Crummock Water]]
*[[Derwent Water]]
*[[Devoke Water]]
*[[Elter Water]]
*[[Ennerdale Water]]
*[[Esthwaite Water]]
*[[Grasmere (lake)|Grasmere]]
*[[Haweswater Reservoir]]
*[[Hayeswater]]
*[[Loweswater]]
*[[Rydal Water]]
*[[Thirlmere]]
*[[Ullswater]]
*[[Wast Water]]
*[[Windermere]]
{{div col end}}

=== Woodlands ===
Below the [[tree line]] are wooded areas, including British and European native [[oak]] woodlands and introduced softwood plantations. The woodlands provide habitats for native English wildlife. The native [[red squirrel]] is found in the Lake District and a few other parts of England. In parts of the Lake District, the rainfall is higher than in any other part of England. This gives [[Atlantic]] [[moss]]es, [[fern]]s, [[lichen]], and [[liverwort]]s the chance to grow. There is some [[ancient woodland]] in the National Park. Management of the woodlands varies: some are [[coppice]]d, some [[pollarding|pollarded]], some left to grow naturally, and some provide grazing and shelter.

===Coast===
The Lake District extends to the coast of the Irish Sea from [[Drigg]] in the north to [[Silecroft]] in the south, encompassing the [[estuary|estuaries]] of the [[River Esk (Ravenglass)|Esk]] and its tributaries, the [[River Irt|Irt]] and the [[River Mite|Mite]]. The intertidal zone of the combined estuaries includes sand, shingle and mudflats, and [[saltmarsh]]. The dune systems on either side of the estuary are protected as nature reserves; Drigg Dunes and Gullery<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cwr.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?Site=6167|title=Defra, UK - Rural Affairs|website=cwr.defra.gov.uk|access-date=19 August 2019|archive-date=29 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729233429/http://cwr.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?Site=6167|url-status=live}}</ref> to the north and Eskmeals Dunes<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/eskmeals-dunes|title=Eskmeals Dunes &#124; Cumbria Wildlife Trust|website=www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk|access-date=19 August 2019|archive-date=14 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714093344/https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/eskmeals-dunes|url-status=live}}</ref> to the south. South of the estuary, the coast is formed in low cliffs of glacial [[till]], sands, and gravels.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GeoIndex - British Geological Survey|url=https://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/home.html|access-date=7 February 2023|website=mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk}}</ref>

The district also extends to the tidal waters of [[Morecambe Bay]] and several of its estuaries alongside the [[Furness Peninsula|Furness]] and [[Cartmel Peninsula]]s, designated on M6 motorway signposts as the "Lake District Peninsulas", and the southern portions of which lie outside the park. These are the [[Duddon Estuary]], the [[River Leven, Cumbria|Leven Estuary]], and the western banks and tidal flats of the [[River Kent#Lower river|Kent Estuary]]. These areas are each characterised by sand and mudflats of scenic and wildlife interest. The coast is backed by extensive flats of raised marine deposits left when the relative sea level was higher.

== Geology ==
{{main|Geology of the Lake District}}
[[File:Lake District Geology Map.svg|thumb|Geological map of the Lake District showing the main structures and areas of mineralisation]]
[[File:Skiddaw (cropped).JPG|thumb|Skiddaw seen from Derwentwater]]
The Lake District's geology is very complex but well-studied.<ref name="Gannon, Rock Trails Lakeland">Gannon, ''Rock Trails Lakeland''</ref> A [[granite]] [[batholith]] beneath the area is responsible for this upland massif, its relatively low density causing the area to be "buoyed up". The granite can be seen at the surface as the Ennerdale, Skiddaw, Carrock Fell, Eskdale, and Shap granites.

Broadly speaking the area can be divided into three bands, divisions which run southwest to the northeast. Generally speaking, the rocks become younger from the northwest to the southeast. The northwestern band is composed of early to mid-[[Ordovician]] [[sedimentary rock]]s, largely [[mudstone]]s and [[siltstone]]s of marine origin. Together they comprise the [[Skiddaw Group]] and include the rocks traditionally known as the [[Skiddaw Slate]]s. Their [[friability]] generally leads to mountains with relatively smooth slopes such as Skiddaw itself.

The central band is a mix of [[volcanic]] and sedimentary rocks of mid-to-late Ordovician age comprising the [[lava]]s and [[tuff]]s of the [[Borrowdale Volcanic Group]], erupted as the former [[Iapetus Ocean]] was [[subduction|subducted]] beneath what is now the Scottish border during the [[Caledonian orogeny]]. The northern central peaks, such as Great Rigg, were produced by considerable lava flows. These lava eruptions were followed by a series of [[Pyroclastic flow|pyroclastic]] eruptions which produced a series of calderas, one of which includes present-day Scafell Pike. These pyroclastic rocks give rise to the craggy landscapes typical of the central fells.<ref name="Gannon, Rock Trails Lakeland"/>

The southeastern band comprises the mudstones and [[wacke]]s of the [[Windermere Supergroup]] and which includes (successively) the rocks of the Dent, Stockdale, Tranearth, Coniston, and Kendal groups. These are generally a little less resistant to erosion than the sequence of the rock to the north and underlie much of the lower landscapes around Coniston and Windermere.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Later [[intrusion]]s have formed individual outcrops of [[igneous rock]] in each of these groups.
Around the edges of these Ordovician and Silurian rocks on the northern, eastern, and southern fringes of the area is a semi-continuous outcrop of [[Carboniferous Limestone]] seen most spectacularly at places like [[Whitbarrow Scar]] and [[Scout Scar]].
<ref>British Geological Survey Regional memoir ''Northern England'' 5th edn 2010</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/171188/factsheet_geology.pdf|title=Geology Factsheet|publisher=Lake District National Park Authority Web|date=24 May 2017|access-date=2 December 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073034/http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/171188/factsheet_geology.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Climate ==
The Lake District's location on the northwest coast of England, coupled with its mountainous geography, makes it the wettest part of England. The UK [[Met Office]] reports average annual [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] of more than {{convert|2000|mm|in|-1|abbr=on}}, but with considerable local variation.

Although the entire region receives above-average rainfall, there is a wide disparity between the amounts of rainfall in the western and eastern lakes, as the Lake District experiences [[relief rainfall]]. [[Seathwaite, Allerdale|Seathwaite, Borrowdale]] is the wettest inhabited place in England with an average of {{convert|3300|mm|in|-1|abbr=on}} of rain a year,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/nw|title=UK regional climates|work=Met Office|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605003213/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/nw|archive-date=5 June 2011}}</ref> while nearby [[Sprinkling Tarn]] is even wetter, recording over {{convert|5000|mm|in|-1|abbr=on}} per year;<ref>{{cite web |last1=Visit Cumbria |title=Lake District weather |url=https://www.visitcumbria.com/lake-district-weather/ |website=visitcumbria.com |access-date=17 October 2019 |archive-date=8 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408073911/https://www.visitcumbria.com/lake-district-weather/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lake District Weatherline |title=Overview of weather |url=https://www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk/ |website=Lake District Weatherline |access-date=17 October 2019 |archive-date=17 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017200553/https://www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> by contrast, Keswick, at the lower end of [[Borrowdale]], receives {{convert|1470|mm|in|abbr=on}} every year, and [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]] (just outside the Lake District) only {{convert|870|mm|in|abbr=on}}. March to June tend to be the driest months, with October to January the wettest, but at low levels, there is relatively little difference between months.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Although there are [[gale]]s in the sheltered valleys on only five days a year on average, the Lake District is generally very windy: the coastal areas have 20 days of gales, and the fell tops around 100 days of gales per year. The maritime climate means that the Lake District has relatively moderate temperature variations throughout the year. The mean temperature in the valleys ranges from about {{convert|3|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}} in January to around {{convert|15|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}} in July. (By comparison, [[Moscow]], at the same latitude, ranges from {{convert|-10|to|19|C|F|abbr=on}}.)

The relatively low height of most of the fells means that, while snow is expected during the winter, they can be free of snow at any time of the year. Normally, significant snowfall only occurs between November and April. On average, snow falls on [[Helvellyn]] 67 days per year. Snow typically falls on 20 days of the year in the valleys, with a further 200 days with some rain, and 145 completely dry days. Hill fog is common at any time of year, and the fells average only around 2.5 hours of sunshine per day, increasing to around 4.1 hours per day on the coastal plains.

{{Weather box
| location = Keswick, Lake District (1991–2020 averages)
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan high C = 7.4
| Feb high C = 7.8
| Mar high C = 9.7
| Apr high C = 12.4
| May high C = 15.8
| Jun high C = 18.2
| Jul high C = 19.8
| Aug high C = 19.2
| Sep high C = 17.0
| Oct high C = 13.5
| Nov high C = 10.0
| Dec high C = 7.8
| year high C = 13.2
| Jan mean C = 4.7
| Feb mean C = 4.8
| Mar mean C = 6.3
| Apr mean C = 8.4
| May mean C = 11.3
| Jun mean C = 14.0
| Jul mean C = 15.7
| Aug mean C = 15.3
| Sep mean C = 13.2
| Oct mean C = 10.2
| Nov mean C = 7.1
| Dec mean C = 4.9
| Jan low C = 2.0
| Feb low C = 1.8
| Mar low C = 2.8
| Apr low C = 4.4
| May low C = 6.8
| Jun low C = 9.7
| Jul low C = 11.6
| Aug low C = 11.4
| Sep low C = 9.4
| Oct low C = 6.8
| Nov low C = 4.2
| Dec low C = 1.9
| year low C = 6.1
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 172.5
| Feb precipitation mm = 135.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 114.9
| Apr precipitation mm = 82.8
| May precipitation mm = 81.6
| Jun precipitation mm = 89.9
| Jul precipitation mm = 94.9
| Aug precipitation mm = 120.2
| Sep precipitation mm = 124.4
| Oct precipitation mm = 175.0
| Nov precipitation mm = 188.6
| Dec precipitation mm = 195.2
| year precipitation mm =
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 16.8
| Feb precipitation days = 14.3
| Mar precipitation days = 14.1
| Apr precipitation days = 12.5
| May precipitation days = 12.4
| Jun precipitation days = 12.7
| Jul precipitation days = 13.5
| Aug precipitation days = 15.2
| Sep precipitation days = 13.5
| Oct precipitation days = 17.0
| Nov precipitation days = 18.2
| Dec precipitation days = 17.8
| year precipitation days =
| source 1 = [[UK Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcty8njjs|title=Keswick (Cumbria) UK climate averages|publisher=[[UK Met Office]]|accessdate=10 January 2022}}</ref>
| source =
}}

== Wildlife ==
[[File:Red squirrels warning signs, Lake District.jpg|thumb|Road warning signals for [[red squirrels]]; the Lake District is one of the few places in England where red squirrels have a sizeable population.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Red squirrels |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-5TPCW3 |work=Forestry Commission |access-date=26 August 2012 |archive-date=3 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003014241/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-5TPCW3 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
[[File:Fell pony.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[Fell pony]] on the [[fells]], native to [[North West England]]]]
The Lake District is home to a great variety of wildlife, because of its varied topography, lakes, and forests. It provides a home for the [[red squirrel]] and colonies of [[sundew]] and [[butterwort]], two of the few [[carnivorous plant]]s native to Britain. The Lake District is a major sanctuary for the red squirrel and has the largest population in England (out of the estimated 140,000 red squirrels in the United Kingdom, compared with about 2.5&nbsp;million [[Eastern gray squirrel|grey squirrels]]).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Prince launches innovative new drive to protect red squirrels |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8330881/Prince-launches-innovative-new-drive-to-protect-red-squirrels.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219105939/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8330881/Prince-launches-innovative-new-drive-to-protect-red-squirrels.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 February 2011 |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=17 February 2011 |access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>

The Lake District is home to a range of bird species,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Cumbria Bird Club |url=http://www.cumbriabirdclub.org.uk/ |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=8 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708200640/http://www.cumbriabirdclub.org.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds|RSPB]] maintain a reserve in Haweswater.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Reserves – Haweswater |url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/haweswater/about.aspx |work=RSPB |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023052258/http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/haweswater/about.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> England's last nesting pair of [[golden eagle]]s was found in the Lake District; the female was last seen in 2004<ref>{{Cite news |title=Golden Eagle – Population Trends |url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldeneagle/population_trends.aspx |work=RSPB |access-date=26 August 2012 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017025446/http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldeneagle/population_trends.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> and the male was last seen in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=England's last golden eagle feared dead |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/14/englands-last-golden-eagle-feared-dead#:~:text=Golden%20eagles%20arrived%20in%20the,moorlands%20and%20mountains%20of%20Scotland. |website=The Guardian | date=14 April 2016 |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> Following recolonisation attempts, a pair of [[osprey]]s nested in the Lake District for the first time in over 150 years near [[Bassenthwaite Lake]] during 2001. Ospreys now frequently migrate north from Africa in the spring to nest in the Lake District, and a total of 23 chicks have fledged in the area since 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Osprey spotted in Cumbria at start of nesting season |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-17584430 |work=BBC News |date=2 April 2012 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=24 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424054716/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-17584430 |url-status=live }}</ref> Another raptor that has had recolonisation attempts is the [[red kite]] which, as of 2012, has a population of approximately 90 in the dense forest areas near [[Grizedale Forest|Grizedale]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Red kites returned to Cumbria forest after 160 years |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-10849991 |work=BBC News |date=3 August 2010 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=22 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422110157/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-10849991 |url-status=live }}</ref> and successfully bred in 2014, the first breeding success in Cumbria in over 200 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Kites breed in Cumbria after more than 200 years |url=https://www.birdguides.com/news/red-kites-breed-in-cumbria-after-more-than-200-years/ |website=BirdGuides |date=17 July 2014 |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> Conservationists hope the reintroduction will create a large population in the Lake District and in [[North West England]] where red kite numbers are low.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Grizedale Forest sees reintroduction of red kites |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-18073449 |work=BBC News |date=15 May 2012 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722162728/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-18073449 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other bird species resident to the Lake District include the [[Common buzzard|buzzard]], [[White-throated dipper|dipper]], [[Peregrine falcon|peregrine]] and [[common raven]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Haweswater – Star species |url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/haweswater/star_species.aspx |work=RSPB |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=29 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829124844/http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/haweswater/star_species.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Seasonal birds include the [[ring ouzel]] and the [[common redstart]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Haweswater – Seasonal highlights |url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/haweswater/seasonal_highlights.aspx |work=RSPB |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=29 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829123956/http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/haweswater/seasonal_highlights.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

The lakes of the Lake District support three rare and endangered species of fish. The [[Coregonus vandesius|vendace]] is found only in Derwent Water and, until 2008, Bassenthwaite Lake.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ancient vendace fish saved from edge of extinction |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3346740/Ancient-vendace-fish-saved-from-edge-of-extinction.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415020122/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3346740/Ancient-vendace-fish-saved-from-edge-of-extinction.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 April 2011 |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=9 July 2009 |access-date=3 September 2012}}</ref> Vendace have struggled in recent years with naturally occurring algae becoming a threat and the lakes gradually getting warmer.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Algae threatens rare fish |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2513699.stm |work=BBC News |date=27 November 2002 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=5 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305073548/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2513699.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
Vendace have been moved to higher lakes on a number of occasions to preserve the species, notably in 2005 and 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Endangered fish take to the air |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/4486024.stm |work=BBC News |date=30 November 2005 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=14 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214040646/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/4486024.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Llamas move fish to cooler waters in Lake District |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-13042511 |work=BBC News |date=12 April 2011 |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=27 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327132836/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-13042511 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Lakes are also home to two other rare species: the [[schelly]], which lives in Brothers Water, Haweswater, Red Tarn and Ullswater, and the [[Arctic char]]r, which can be found in Buttermere, Coniston Water, Crummock Water, Ennerdale Water, Haweswater, Loweswater, Thirlmere, Wast Water, and Windermere.
[[File:CoregonusVandesius.jpg|thumb|left|The vendace (''[[Coregonus vandesius]]'') is England's rarest species of fish, and is found only in the Lake District.]]

In recent years, important changes have been made to fisheries byelaws covering the northwest region of England, to help protect some of the rarest fish species. In 2002, the [[Environment Agency]] introduced a new fisheries byelaw, banning the use of all freshwater fish as live or dead bait in 14 of the lakes in the Lake District: Bassenthwaite Lake, Brothers Water, Buttermere, Coniston Water, Crummock Water, Derwent Water, Ennerdale Water, Haweswater, Loweswater, Red Tarn, Thirlmere, Ullswater, Wast Water, and Windermere. Anglers not complying with the new byelaw can face fines of up to £2,500.

The lakes and waters of the Lake District do not naturally support as many species of fish as other similar habitats in the south of the country and elsewhere in Europe. Some fish that do thrive there are particularly at risk from the introduction of new species. The introduction of non-native fish can lead to the predation of the native fish fauna or competition for food. There is also the risk of disease being introduced, which can further threaten native populations. In some cases, the introduced species can disturb the environment so much that it becomes unsuitable for particular fish. For example, a major problem has been found with [[ruffe]]. This non-native fish has now been introduced into several lakes in recent years. It is known that ruffe eats the eggs of vendace, which are particularly vulnerable because of their long incubation period. This means that they are susceptible to predators for up to 120 days. The eggs of other fish, for example [[Rutilus|roach]], are only at risk for as little as three days.

The Lake District supports a distinctive montane [[lichen]] flora, with over 55 species recorded from high-level areas. Whilst less diverse than the [[Scottish Highlands]], the region contains several rare species, particularly in areas of base-rich rock. Brown Cove Tarn is of international importance, hosting several species that are rare throughout Europe. The Helvellyn range is particularly significant, with Brown Cove containing the richest lichen assemblages. Key species include ''[[Umbilicaria crustulosa]]'', which was first discovered in Langdale in 1889. The area's lichen communities have been impacted by heavy sheep [[grazing]] since the 14th century, resulting in less extensive mats than those found in the Scottish Highlands. The wet climate, with annual precipitation exceeding 4000mm in central areas, combined with [[acidic rock]] and intensive grazing, creates challenging conditions for lichen growth. However, some species persist in sheltered locations, particularly in gullies and on boulders around [[tarn (lake)|tarns]], where they form distinct zonation patterns related to water levels and exposure.<ref>{{cite journal |author-link=Oliver Gilbert (lichenologist) |last1=Gilbert |first1=O.L. |last2=Giavarini |first2=V.J. |title=The lichens of high ground in the English Lake District |journal=The Lichenologist |volume=25 |issue=2 |year=1993 |doi=10.1006/lich.1993.1023 |pages=147–164}}</ref>

== Economy ==

=== Agriculture and forestry ===
[[File:Thirleme 069.jpg|thumb|A young [[Herdwick]] grazing above [[Thirlmere]]. Older sheep of this breed are grey or white.]]

Farming, and in particular [[Domestic sheep|sheep farming]], has been the major industry in the region since [[Roman Britain|Roman]] times. The breed most closely associated with the area is the tough [[Herdwick]], with [[Rough Fell]] and [[Swaledale (sheep)|Swaledale]] sheep also common. Sheep farming remains important both for the economy of the region and for preserving the landscape which visitors want to see. Features such as [[dry stone wall]]s, for example, are there as a result of sheep farming. Some land is also used for [[silage]] and [[dairy farming]].

[[File:Hughie - Lakeland Terrier.jpg|thumb|upright=.60|The [[Lakeland Terrier]] is a District namesake, and native of the area's farms.]]

The area was badly affected by the outbreak of [[foot-and-mouth disease]] across the United Kingdom in 2001. The outbreak started in [[Surrey]] in February but had spread to [[Cumbria]] by end of March.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lake District 'nightmare' as fell farm is infected |last=Cadwalladr |first=Carole |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1327961/Lake-District-nightmare-as-fell-farm-is-infected.html |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=26 March 2001 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=26 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426174133/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1327961/Lake-District-nightmare-as-fell-farm-is-infected.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thousands of sheep, including the native [[Herdwick]]s which graze on the fellsides across the district, were destroyed. In replacing the sheep, one problem to overcome was that many of the lost sheep were ''heafed'', that is, they knew their part of the unfenced fell and did not stray, with this knowledge being passed between generations. With all the sheep lost at once, this knowledge has to be relearnt and some of the fells have had discreet [[electric fence]]s strung across them for a period of five years, to allow the sheep to "re-heaf".<ref>{{Cite news |title=If they go, it is the end of Lakeland |last=Griffin |first=Harry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/apr/11/footandmouth.features11 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=11 April 2001 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317020654/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/apr/11/footandmouth.features11 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the time of the outbreak, worries existed about the future of certain species of sheep such as [[Ryeland]] and Herdwick in the district,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rare breeds 'could be lost' |last=MacClean |first=Matt |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1233458.stm |work=BBC News |date=21 March 2001 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=1 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301154754/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1233458.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> however these fears have been allayed and sheep now occupy the district in abundance.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sheep breed resurrected decade on from foot and mouth |last=Clarke |first=Tom |url=http://www.channel4.com/news/sheep-breed-resurrected-decade-on-from-foot-and-mouth |work=Channel 4 News |date=9 February 2011 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=17 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217033412/http://www.channel4.com/news/sheep-breed-resurrected-decade-on-from-foot-and-mouth |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Forestry on Harter Fell.jpg|thumb|Forestry operations on [[Harter Fell, Eskdale|Harter Fell]]]]

Forestry has also assumed greater importance over the last century with the establishment of extensive conifer plantations around [[Whinlatter Pass]], in [[Ennerdale Water|Ennerdale]], and at [[Grizedale Forest]] among other places. There are extensive plantations of non-native pine trees.

=== Industry ===
With its wealth of rock types and their abundance in the landscape, mining and quarrying have long been significant activities in the Lake District economy. In [[Neolithic]] times, the Lake District was a major source of stone [[axe]]s, examples of which have been found all over Britain. The primary site, on the slopes of the Langdale Pikes, is sometimes described as a "stone axe factory" of the [[Langdale axe industry]]. Some of the earliest [[stone circle]]s in Britain are connected with this industry.

Mining, particularly of copper, lead (often associated with quantities of silver), [[baryte]], [[graphite]], and [[slate]], was historically a major Lakeland industry, mainly from the 16th to 19th centuries. Coppiced woodland was used extensively to provide [[charcoal]] for smelting. Some mining still takes place today; for example, slate mining continues at the [[Honister Slate Mine|Honister Mines]], at the top of [[Honister Pass]]. Abandoned mine workings can be found on fellsides throughout the district. The locally mined graphite led to the development of the [[pencil]] industry, especially around [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]].

[[File:Lake District near Torver.jpg|thumb|A typical Lake District scene]]

In the middle of the 19th century, half the world textile industry's [[bobbin]] supply came from the Lake District area. Over the past century, however, tourism has grown rapidly to become the area's primary source of income.

=== Development of tourism ===
{{More citations needed|date=September 2011}}

====Historical====
Early visitors to the Lake District, who travelled for the education and pleasure of the journey, include [[Celia Fiennes]], who in 1698 undertook a journey the length of England, including riding through [[Kendal]] and over [[Kirkstone Pass]] into [[Patterdale]]. Her experiences and impressions were published in her book ''Great Journey to Newcastle and Cornwall'':

<blockquote>As I walked down at this place I was walled on both sides by those inaccessible high rocky barren hills which hang over one's head in some places and appear very terrible; and from them springs many little currents of water from the sides and clefts which trickle down to some lower part where it runs swiftly over the stones and shelves in the way, which makes a pleasant rush and murmuring noise and like a snowball is increased by each spring trickling down on either side of those hills, and so descends into the bottoms which are a Moorish ground in which in many places the waters stand, and so form some of those Lakes as it did here.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Shirley|last1=Foster|first2=Sara|last2=Mills|title=An Anthology of Women's Travel Writing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=81JxDbc2KeIC&pg=PA183|year=2002|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=978-0-7190-5018-3|page=183|access-date=4 March 2016|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804033227/https://books.google.com/books?id=81JxDbc2KeIC&pg=PA183|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>

In 1724, [[Daniel Defoe]] published the first volume of ''A Tour Thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain''. He commented on [[Westmorland]] that it was:

<blockquote>the wildest, most barren and frightful of any that I have passed over in England, or even Wales itself; the west side, which borders on Cumberland, is indeed bounded by a chain of almost unpassable mountains which, in the language of the country, are called fells.</blockquote>

[[File:Claife Station.jpg|thumb|Claife Station on the western shore of [[Windermere]]]]
Towards the end of the 18th century, the area was becoming more popular with travellers. This was partly a result of wars in [[Continental Europe]], restricting the possibility of travel there. In 1778 [[Thomas West (priest)|Thomas West]] produced ''A Guide to the Lakes'', which began the era of modern tourism. West listed "stations", viewpoints where tourists could enjoy the best views of the landscape, being encouraged to appreciate the formal qualities of the landscape and to apply aesthetic values. At some of these stations, buildings were erected to help this process. The remains of Claife Station (on the western shore [[Windermere]] below [[Claife Heights]]) can be visited today.

[[William Wordsworth]] published his ''Guide to the Lakes'' in 1810, and by 1835 it had reached its fifth edition, now called ''A Guide Through the District of the Lakes in the North of England''. This book was particularly influential in popularising the region. Wordsworth's favourite valley was Dunnerdale or the [[Duddon Valley]] in the southwest of the Lake District.

The railways led to another expansion in tourism. The [[Kendal and Windermere Railway]] was the first to penetrate the Lake District, reaching [[Kendal]] in 1846 and [[Windermere, Cumbria (town)|Windermere]] in 1847. The line to [[Coniston, Cumbria|Coniston]] opened in 1848 (although until 1857 this was only linked to the national network by ferries between [[Fleetwood]] and Barrow-in-Furness); the line from [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]] through [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] to [[Cockermouth]] in 1865; and the line to [[Lakeside, Cumbria|Lakeside]] at the foot of [[Windermere]] in 1869. The railways, built with traditional industry in mind, brought with them a huge increase in the number of visitors, thus contributing to the growth of the tourism industry. Railway services were supplemented by steamer boats on the major lakes of [[Ullswater]], Windermere, [[Coniston Water]], and [[Derwent Water]].

[[File:STEAMER ON ULLSWATER.jpg|thumb|A steamer on [[Ullswater]]]]

The growth in tourist numbers continued into the age of the motor car, when railways began to be closed or run down. The formation of the [[Lake District National Park]] in 1951 recognised the need to protect the Lake District environment from excessive commercial or industrial exploitation, preserving that which visitors come to see, without any restriction on the movement of people into and around the district. The [[M6 Motorway]] helped bring traffic to the Lake District, passing up its eastern flank.

====Recent====
The narrow roads present a challenge for traffic flow, and since the 1960s certain areas have been very congested. This problem continues, with traffic congestion and parking problems in the towns and villages. [[Bowness-on-Windermere]] addressed the parking issue with a new car park at the edge of the community and by extending an existing car park.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=https://falconwoodgcsegeography.weebly.com/a-uk-national-park-case-study.html |title=GCSE Geography: Tourism |date= |work=Falconwood GCSE |access-date=1 September 2022 |quote=}}</ref> The Lake District NP publishes a list and map of car parks within its area, allowing tourists to plan their visits accordingly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/getting-to-the-lake-district/carparks |title=Car parks|date= 30 January 2017|work=Lake District NP Authority |access-date=1 September 2022 |quote=}}</ref>

Whilst the roads and railways provided easier access to the area, many people were drawn to Lakeland by the publication of the ''[[Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells]]'' by [[Alfred Wainwright]]. First published between 1955 and 1966, these books provided detailed information on 214 fells across the region, with carefully hand-drawn maps and panoramas, and also stories and asides which add to the colour of the area. They are still used by many visitors to the area as guides for walking excursions, with the ultimate goal of [[Peak bagging|bagging]] the complete list of ''[[List of Wainwrights|Wainwrights]]''. The famous guides were revised by [[Chris Jesty]] between 2005 and 2009 to reflect changes, mainly in valley access and paths, and are currently being revised by Clive Hutchby, the author of The Wainwright Companion. The first of the revised volumes, Book One: The Eastern Fells, was published in March 2015; the most recent, Book Six: The North Western Fells, was published in April 2019.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/13/books.ruralaffairs | work=The Guardian | first=Martin | last=Wainwright | title=Famed fells guides join the 21st century | date=13 June 2005 | access-date=17 December 2016 | archive-date=1 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201214536/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/13/books.ruralaffairs | url-status=live }}</ref>

Since the early 1960s, the National Park Authority has employed rangers to help cope with increasing tourism and development, the first being [[John Wyatt (writer)|John Wyatt]], who has since written several guide books. He was joined two years later by a second, and since then the number of rangers has been rising.

The area has also become associated with the writer [[Beatrix Potter]]. Several tourists visit to see her family home, with particularly large numbers coming from Japan.

Tourism has now become the park's major industry, with about 12&nbsp;million{{Fix|text=Disagrees with figures in National Park section}} visitors each year, mainly from the rest of the UK and from China, Japan, Spain, Germany, and the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/holiday/destinations/lake_district_cartmel |title=Desintations: Lake District |publisher=BBC\ |date=27 January 2005 |archive-date=27 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050127144348/http://www.bbc.co.uk/holiday/destinations/lake_district_cartmel/ }}</ref> Windermere Lake Steamers are Cumbria's most popular charging tourist attraction, with about 1.35&nbsp;million paying passengers each year, and the local economy is dependent upon tourists. The negative impact of tourism has been seen, however. [[Soil erosion]], caused by walking, is now a significant problem, with millions of pounds being spent to protect overused paths. In 2006, two [[Visitor center|tourist information centres]] in the National Park were closed.

Cycling is now popular in the Lake District National Park.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/cycling|title=Lake District cycling|date=25 April 2017|website=Lake District National Park|language=en|access-date=29 May 2019|archive-date=29 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529132440/https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/cycling|url-status=live}}</ref> A number of long-distance cycle routes go through the Lake District, including coast to coast cycle routes such as the [[Coast to Coast Cycle Route|C2C]], Hadrian's Cycleway, the Reivers Route and the Walney to Wear route. Several towns have also become hubs for road-cycling holidays and cycle touring, such as [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] and Ambleside. Mountain bikers use the trails constructed at Whinlatter Forest<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forestryengland.uk/whinlatter/cycling-and-mountain-biking-trails-whinlatter|title=Cycling and mountain biking trails at Whinlatter|website=Forestry England|language=en|access-date=29 May 2019|archive-date=29 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529132438/https://www.forestryengland.uk/whinlatter/cycling-and-mountain-biking-trails-whinlatter|url-status=live}}</ref> and Grizedale Forest and also have wilder routes available on bridleways.

Cultural tourism is becoming an increasingly important part of the wider tourist industry. The Lake District's links with a wealth of artists and writers and its strong history of providing summer theatre performances in the old Blue Box of Century Theatre are strong attractions for visiting tourists. The tradition of theatre is carried on at venues such as [[Theatre by the Lake]] in Keswick with its summer season of six plays in [[repertoire (theatre)|repertoire]], Christmas and Easter productions, and the many literature, film, mountaineering, jazz, and creative arts festivals, such as the [[Kendal Mountain Festival]] and the [[Keswick Mountain Festival]]. Two museums, The World of Beatrix Potter and [[Dove Cottage]] & The Wordsworth Museum, are also important aspects of the region.<ref name="auto1"/>

=== Gastronomy ===
Excellent mutton and lamb have been produced locally for generations and traditionally formed the basis of the region's many rustic dishes, such as Tatie Pot, a potato-topped mutton casserole. The Traditional [[Cumberland sausage|Cumberland Sausage]] is a spiced, unlinked pork sausage with [[Protected Geographical Status]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Traditional Cumberland Sausage |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271308/pfn-cumberland-sausage-pgi.pdf |publisher=Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |access-date=26 October 2019 |archive-date=24 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724150530/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271308/pfn-cumberland-sausage-pgi.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Lake District now has a growing reputation for its fine dining<ref>{{cite news|author1=Harry Wallop|title=Michelin Guide 2010: UK has more starred restaurants than ever before|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6998093/Michelin-Guide-2010-UK-has-more-starred-restaurants-than-ever-before.html|quote=the Lake District is becoming one of the best places to eat in Britain|access-date=8 January 2017|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=15 January 2010|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308152803/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6998093/Michelin-Guide-2010-UK-has-more-starred-restaurants-than-ever-before.html|url-status=live}}</ref> although standard pub and café fare continues to dominate. There are 7 [[Michelin Star]] restaurants within the World Heritage Site boundaries, with three more less than 5 miles outside ([[L'Enclume]], Rogan & Co, and Dog and Gun Inn). Those inside the area are: The Cottage in the Wood, Allium at [[Askham Hall]], Old Stamp House, Forest Side, heft, [[The Samling Hotel|The Samling]], and SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel, one of the two restaurants at the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Full List of Michelin Stars in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023 |url=https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/the-full-list-of-michelin-stars-in-the-michelin-guide-great-britain-ireland-2023 |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=MICHELIN Guide |language=en-GB}}</ref> Cumbria has many [[microbreweries]] and [[Distillery|distilleries]] which distribute local [[ale]]s, [[lager]]s, and craft [[gin]], [[vodka]], and [[whisky]] to pubs and restaurants throughout the region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breweries & Distilleries |url=https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/food-and-drink/breweries-and-distilleries |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Visit Lake District |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Literature and the arts ==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2018}}
The Lake District has inspired creativity in many fields.
[[File:Mountain mist, sun rise (Lake District).jpg|thumb|"Mountain mist, sunrise", A view in the Lake District by [[Henry Clarence Whaite]]]]

=== Literature ===
The District is intimately associated with [[English literature]] of the 18th and 19th centuries. [[Thomas Gray]] was the first to bring the region to attention, when he wrote a journal of his [[Grand Tour]] in 1769, but it was [[William Wordsworth]] whose poems were most famous and influential. Wordsworth's poem "[[I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud]]", inspired by the sight of [[daffodils]] on the shores of Ullswater, remains one of the most famous in the English language. Out of his long life of eighty years, sixty were spent amid its lakes and mountains, first as a schoolboy at [[Hawkshead]], and afterward living in [[Grasmere (village)|Grasmere]] (1799–1813) and [[Rydal Mount]] (1813–50). Wordsworth, [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge|Coleridge]] and [[Robert Southey|Southey]] became known as the [[Lake Poets]].

The poet and his wife are buried in the churchyard of Grasmere; very near to them are the remains of [[Hartley Coleridge]] (son of the poet [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]]), who himself lived for many years in Keswick, Ambleside, and Grasmere. [[Robert Southey]], the [[Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom|Poet Laureate]] and friend of Wordsworth (who would succeed Southey as Laureate in 1843), was a resident of Keswick for forty years (1803–43), and was buried in [[St Kentigern's Church, Crosthwaite|Crosthwaite churchyard]]. Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived for some time in Keswick, and also with the Wordsworths at Grasmere.

The Lake District is mentioned in [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]''; [[Elizabeth Bennet]] looks forward to a holiday there with her aunt and uncle and is "excessively disappointed" upon learning they cannot travel that far.

The opening of [[Charlotte Turner Smith]]'s novel ''Ethelinde'' with its atmospheric description of [[Grasmere (village)|Grasmere]], complete with a Gothic abbey, is supposed to have introduced Wordsworth to it as a possible place to live.

From 1807 to 1815 [[John Wilson (Scottish writer)|John Wilson]] lived at Windermere. [[Thomas de Quincey]] spent the greater part of the years 1809 to 1828 at Grasmere, in the first cottage which Wordsworth had inhabited. Ambleside, or its environs, was also the place of residence both of [[Thomas Arnold]], who spent holidays there in the last ten years of his life, and of [[Harriet Martineau]], who built herself a house there in 1845. At Keswick, Mrs Lynn Linton (wife of [[William James Linton]]) was born in 1822. [[Brantwood]], a house beside Coniston Water, was the home of [[John Ruskin]] during the last years of his life. His assistant [[W. G. Collingwood]] the author, artist, and antiquarian lived nearby and wrote ''Thorstein of the Mere,'' set in the Norse period.

In addition to these residents or natives of the Lake District, a variety of other poets and writers made visits to the Lake District or were bound by ties of friendship with those already mentioned above. These include [[Percy Bysshe Shelley]], [[Sir Walter Scott]], [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]], [[Arthur Hugh Clough]], [[Henry Crabb Robinson]], [[Richard Sharp (politician)|"Conversation" Sharp]], [[Thomas Carlyle]], [[John Keats]], [[Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Lord Tennyson]], [[Matthew Arnold]], [[Felicia Hemans]] and [[Gerald Massey]].

Although it is unlikely she ever went there, [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]] produced no fewer than sixteen poems on subjects within the Lake District and its surroundings, all associated with engravings within Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Books, from 1832 to 1838. Also included there (1834) is ''Grasmere Lake (A Sketch by a Cockney)'', a skit on becoming a 'lakes poet'.
 
During the early 20th century, the children's author [[Beatrix Potter]] lived at [[Hill Top, Cumbria|Hill Top]] Farm; she set many of her famous [[Peter Rabbit]] books in the Lake District. Her life was made into a [[Miss Potter|biopic film]], starring [[Renée Zellweger]] and [[Ewan McGregor]]. Children's author [[Arthur Ransome]] lived in several areas of the Lake District, and set five of his [[Swallows and Amazons series]] of books, published between 1930 and 1947, in a fictionalised Lake District setting. So did [[Geoffrey Trease]] with his five Black Banner school stories (1949–56), starting with ''[[No Boats on Bannermere]]''.

The novelist [[Hugh Walpole|Sir Hugh Walpole]] lived at "Brackenburn" on the lower slopes of [[Catbells]] overlooking Derwent Water from 1924 until he died in 1941. Whilst living at "Brackenburn" he wrote ''The Herries Chronicle'' detailing the history of a fictional Cumbrian family over two centuries. The noted author and poet [[Norman Nicholson]] came from the southwest lakes, living and writing about [[Millom]] in the 20th century – he was known as the last of the [[Lake Poets]] and came close to becoming the [[Poet Laureate.]]

Writer and author [[Melvyn Bragg]] was brought up in the region and has used it as the setting for some of his work, such as his novel ''A Time to Dance'', which later turned into a television drama.

The Lake District is the setting for the 1977 [[Richard Adams]]' novel ''[[The Plague Dogs (novel)|The Plague Dogs]]''. Adams' knowledge of the area offers the reader a precise view of the natural beauty of the Lake District. The story is based on a fictionalised version of the remote hill farm of Lawson Park, overlooking Coniston Water.

The Lake District has been the setting for crime novels by [[Reginald Hill]], [[Val McDermid]] and [[Martin Edwards (author)|Martin Edwards]]. The region is also a recurring theme in [[Ernest Hemingway]]'s 1926 novella ''[[The Torrents of Spring]]'' and features prominently in [[Ian McEwan]]'s ''[[Amsterdam (novel)|Amsterdam]]'', which won the 1998 [[Booker Prize]]. The 1996 [[Eisner Award]] winning [[graphic novel]] ''[[The Tale of One Bad Rat]]'', by [[Bryan Talbot]], features a young girl's journey to and subsequent stay in the Lake District. Also set in the District is Sophie Jackson's mystery novel ''The Woman Died Thrice''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clara Fitzgerald Mysteries |url=http://sophiejackson1984.wixsite.com/sophiejackson/fiction |website=Sophie Jackson's website |access-date=19 May 2017 |archive-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819150201/http://sophiejackson1984.wixsite.com/sophiejackson/fiction |url-status=live }}</ref> It was published in 2016 under Jackson's pen name Evelyn James.

Memoirist and nature writer [[James Rebanks]] has published several books about the Lake District, including two acclaimed books that detail his life as a sheep farmer: ''[[The Shepherd's Life|The Shepherd's Life: A Tale of the Lake District]]'' (2015) and ''English Pastoral: An Inheritance'' (2020).

=== Visual arts ===
[[File:DV342 Ullswater from above Pattersdale.png|thumb|[[Ullswater]] painted by [[John Parker (cleric)|John Parker]] 1825]]
The Lakes have been an inspiration for many notable artists. Two of the most famous artists to depict the region in their work were [[Alfred Heaton Cooper]] and [[William Heaton Cooper]].

The German artist [[Kurt Schwitters]] visited the Lake District while in exile in Great Britain and moved there permanently in June 1945, remaining there for the rest of his life.

Film director [[Ken Russell]] lived in the Keswick/Borrowdale area from 1975 to 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelakedistrict.info/2008/11/coombe-cottage.html |title=Coombe Cottage |publisher=Thelakedistrict.info |date=11 July 2006 |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218052207/http://www.thelakedistrict.info/2008/11/coombe-cottage.html |archive-date=18 February 2009}}</ref> and used it in films such as ''[[Tommy (1975 film)|Tommy]]'' and ''[[Mahler (film)|Mahler]]''.

The [[Keswick School of Industrial Art]] at Keswick was started in 1884 by [[Canon Rawnsley]], a friend of [[John Ruskin]].

The base of contemporary art commissioner and residency base [[Grizedale Arts]] since 2007, Lawson Park now hosts artists' residencies, opens to the public on occasion, and has developed a significant garden that includes artworks alongside extensive plantings. Grizedale Arts has produced many internationally significant cultural projects and has proved instrumental in the careers of several [[Turner Prize]]-winning artists, making Laure Provoust's winning installation 'Wantee' at Lawson Park, and bringing the exhibition to Coniston's [[Ruskin Museum]] in 2013. It also supported the refurbishment of the historic [[Coniston, Cumbria|Coniston]] Institute and developed an Honest Shop there (opening in 2012), an unstaffed shop stocking local crafts and produce.

=== Musicians ===
The English composer Sir [[Arthur Somervell]] (1863 – 1937) was born in Windermere.

The 17th track on American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]]'s eighth studio album, ''[[Folklore (Taylor Swift album)|Folklore]]'', released in 2020 as a bonus track, is titled "[[The Lakes (song)|The Lakes]]", and details Swift's experience living in the Lake District. Swift makes reference to the Lake poet William Wordsworth by name.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Spanos |first1=Brittany |title=Taylor Swift Channels Romantic-Era Poetry With 'The Lakes' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-the-lakes-folklore-1045311/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=19 August 2020 |date=18 August 2020 |archive-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828100155/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-the-lakes-folklore-1045311/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Nomenclature ==
Several words and phrases are local to the Lake District and are part of the [[Cumbrian dialect]], though many are shared by other northern dialects. These include:

*[[Fell]] – from [[Old Norse]] {{lang|non|fjallr}}, brought to England by [[Viking]] invaders and close to modern Norwegian {{lang|no|fjell}} and Swedish {{lang|sv|fjäll}} meaning mountain
*Howe – place name from the [[Old Norse]] ''haugr'' meaning hill, knoll, or mound
*[[tarn (lake)|Tarn]] – a word that has been taken to mean a small lake situated in a [[Cirque|corrie]] (the local name for which is ''cove'' or ''comb''), or – more widely – a local phrase for any small pool of water. The word is derived from the [[Old Norse]], Norwegian and Swedish word ''tjern/tjärn'', meaning small lake.
*[[Yan tan tethera]] – the name for a system of sheep counting which was traditionally used in the Lake District. Though now rare, it is still used by some{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} and taught in local schools.
*Heaf (a variant of [[wikt:heft|heft]]) – the "home territory" of a flock of sheep

==See also==
{{Portal|North West England|Cumbria}}
*[[Regions of England]]
*[[Geography of the United Kingdom]]
*[[Sellafield]] (multi-function nuclear site)

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |first1=Steve |last1=Chilton |url=http://sandstonepress.com/books/its-a-hill-get-over-it-pb |title=It's a hill, get over it: fell running's history and characters |year=2013 |publisher=Sandstone Press |place=Dingwall|isbn=978-1-908737-57-1}}
*Gannon, P. ''Rock Trails Lakeland: A Hillwalker's Guide to the Geology and Scenery'', 2008, Pesda Press, {{ISBN|978-1-906095-15-4}}
*Hollingsworth, S. ''The Geology of the Lake District: a review'', Proc. Geologists Assoc., 65 (Part 4) 1954
*Moseley, F. ''Geology of the Lake District'', 1978, Yorkshire Geological Society
*Lake District Tours, ''A Collection of Travel Writings and Guide Books in the Romantic Era in 6 vols.'', edited by Tomoya Oda, Eureka Press, 2008.
*Wilson PW and Jarman D (2015): Rock slope failure in the Lake District. In McDougall DA and Evans DJA (eds), The Quaternary of the Lake District - Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association, London, 83–95.

== External links ==
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{{Wikivoyage|Lake District National Park}}
{{Wikivoyage|Hikes in the Lake District}}
{{Commons category|Lake District}}
* [https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/ Visit Lake District] - Official destination visitor website
* [https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/ Lake District National Park] - Official National Park website

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[[Category:Lake District| ]]
[[Category:Lake groups of the United Kingdom]]
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