Walks Around Britain

The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is probably the most popular holiday destination in the UK, and is one of England's few mountainous regions. Located in the North West of England, the area is famous for its lakes and its mountains (or fells) and with its associations with people such as the poet William Wordsworth and the walker and writer Alfred Wainwright.

The central and most visited area of the Lake District is contained within the Lake District National Park - which is the largest National Park in England and Wales and the second largest in the UK.

Designated a National Park in 1952, the Lake District is one of the most highly populated national parks.

It lies entirely within Cumbria, shared historically by the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland and is one of England's few mountainous regions. All the land in England higher than three thousand feet above sea level lies within the National Park, including Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England. It also contains the deepest and longest lakes in England.

Despite the name, only one of the lakes in the Lake District actually contains the word "lake" in its name, Bassenthwaite Lake, the rest being either "meres", "waters", "tarns" or "reservoirs".

The Lake District is approximately 34 miles (55 km) across and its features are a result of periods of glaciation some 15,000 years ago. This provided the ice-carved wide U-shaped valleys - many of which are now filled with the lakes that give the park its name.

The Lake District is divided into several parts - each with its own characteristics...

North-west
The north-western area stands between the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere, with Honister Pass joining the two dales. To the north stand Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike and the hills around the valley of Coledale, and in the far north-west is Thornthwaite Forest and Lord's Seat.

West
The western part is the area between Buttermere and Wasdale, with Sty Head forming the apex of a large triangle. Ennerdale bisects the area, which consists of the High Stile ridge north of Ennerdale, the Loweswater Fells in the far north west, the Pillar group in the south west, and Great Gable near Sty Head. This area is craggy and steep, and is home to Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain.

Central
The central part is the lowest in terms of height. It takes the form of a long boot-shaped ridge running from Loughrigg Fell above Ambleside to Keswick, with Derwent Water on the west and Thirlmere on the east. The Langdale Pikes, with High Raise behind them, are another feature popular with walkers.

East
The eastern area consists of a long north-to-south ridge-the Helvellyn range, running from Clough Head to Seat Sandal with Helvellyn at its highest point. The western slopes of these summits tend to be grassy, with rocky corries and crags on the eastern side. The Fairfield group lies to the south of the range and spills into the Patterdale valley.

Far-east
The far-eastern fells lie on the other side of Patterdale and are characterised by steep sides leading up to a huge moorland plateau, again on a north-south axis. High Street is the highest point on the ridge, overlooking the hidden valley of Mardale and Haweswater. In the south of this region are the fells overlooking Kentmere, and to the east is Shap Fell.

Mid-west
The mid-western fells form a triangular shape, with the corners at the Irish Sea, Borrowdale and Langdale. They comprise the Wastwater Screes overlooking Wasdale, the Glaramara ridge overlooking Borrowdale, the three tops of Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Esk Pike overlooking Langdale and Scafell Pike in the centre.

South-west
The south-western fells have as their northern boundary the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes. These are particularly narrow and steep, with tight hairpin bends. The Furness Fells - or Coniston Fells - stand between Coniston and the Duddon Valley. On the other side of the Duddon is Harter Fell and the long ridge leading over Whitfell to Black Combe and the sea.

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

Lake District National Park
The official website of the Lake District National Park Authority

Stewart Smith Photography
Wild and dramatic fine art Lake District landscape photography

Fix The Fells
A conservation project to repair paths in the Lake District

Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association
The website for the umbrella body for mountain rescue teams in Cumbria.


Lake District region guide
An in-depth guide to the Lake District from our friends at MyOutdoors


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