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English
Lake District National Park
The
National Park
Aerial Photograph
of Lindale courtesy of www.webbaviation.co.uk. Copyright ©
2005.
Only about 1½
hours by car along the M61 and M6 motorways from Manchester, the English
Lake District is a protected National Park and is the largest in Great
Britain. It is a land of mountains and lakes, and a Mecca for walkers,
tourists and climbers alike. England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike
is located here in the Langdale Pikes (Hills) overlooking Grasmere.
The National Park is located entirely in the county of Cumbria (what
used to be known as Cumberland, Westmorland and the most northern
tip of Lancashire), although all of the county is not a National Park.
It is a very popular location with day-trippers from Manchester and
from all over the north-west of England and the industrial Midlands,
and after London and Stratford-on-Avon, ranks as Britain's third most
popular tourist attraction.
Left to Right:Blea
Tarn. Castlerigg Stone Circle. Towards Helvelyn from Keswick. Thirlmere
in Autumn
The
Lakes of Cumbria
Actually,
although known as the Lake District, technically there's only one
"Lake" as such (Bassenthwaite Lake) - the rest are "meres" or "waters"
(as in Windermere and Derwentwater). It's many lakes vary a great
deal in character from the remote and bleak north-western lakes like
Wastwater and Ennerdale Water, to the more friendly and populated
Southern Lakes like Grasmere, Rydal and Windermere. Of
these southern lakes, Windermere is the largest in Britain, being
over 10 miles long, and forms a popular boating haven for yachtsmen.
The lake of Thirlmere has for more than a century provided all of
the drinking water for the City of Manchester, being piped the 100
miles or so through underground pipes.
Apart from
the Lakes themselves, the landscape is dominated by the mountain peaks,
like Helvellyn and Scafell Pike, which separate and overlook them.
The crags and fells of the Lake District give it its most distinctive
character, and provide England with its tallest mountain, Scafell
Pike.
The Lakes
are easily accessible by road, being well signposted and served from
the M6 motorway exits 36 to 40 by fast dual carriageway roads. There
are also regular daily coach services from Manchester and train services
run to Windermere, which, along with neighbouring Bowness, is a good
base for an extended visit of the region. Keswick forms an ideal touring
base for the central and northern lakes.
CAUTIONARY
NOTE
Remember to
take warm waterproof clothing - the lakes are there, (not surprisingly),
because it rains a great deal over the mountains - even in summertime
- that's where lakes come from - (Doh!)
Map
of the Lake District
Map by John Moss
© 2000 Papillon Graphics
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