Lake District
| Lake District | |
|---|---|
Top to bottom: view over Keswick, view across Derwent Water, Cat Bells northern ridge, A591 between Ambleside and Grasmere | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Scafell Pike |
| Elevation | 978 m (3,209 ft) |
| Coordinates | 54°27′15″N 3°12′42″W / 54.45424°N 3.21160°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Largest lakes by area | Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater |
| Largest settlements | Kendal, Ambleside, Windermere, Keswick |
| Geology | |
| Orogenies |
|
| Rock age | Primarily Ordovician |
| Rock type(s) | Primarily volcanic and sedimentary |
| Lake District National Park | |
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1] | |
The Lake District national park | |
| Area | 2,362 km2 (912 sq mi)[2] |
| Established | 9 May 1951 |
| Visitors |
|
| Governing body | Lake District National Park Authority |
| Official name | The English Lake District |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, v, vi |
| Reference | 422 |
| Inscription | 2017 (41st Session) |
| Area | 229,205.19 ha |
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region and 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 highest:[4] Scafell Pike (978 m; 3,209 ft), Helvellyn (950 m; 3,120 ft) and Skiddaw (931 m; 3,054 ft). The region also contains sixteen major lakes.[5] They include Windermere, which with a length of 11 miles (18 km) and an area of 5.69 square miles (14.73 km2) is the longest and largest lake in England, and Wast Water, which at 79 metres (259 ft) is the deepest lake in England.[6][7]
The Lake District National Park was established in 1951, and covers an area of 2,362 km2 (912 square miles), the bulk of the region.[2] It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.[8]
- ^ "Lake District". World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Lake District facts and figures". Lake District National Park Authority website. Lake District National Park Authority. 24 May 2005. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "National Park facts and figures". nationalparks.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ 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)
- ^ "Lake District facts and figures". Lake District National Park. 24 May 2005. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Wastwater and the Lake District West Coast - explore and visit". Lake District National Park. 17 May 2013. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- ^ "Lake District National Park - Explore Windermere". Lakedistrict.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ "English Lake District welcomed into UK UNESCO family as 31st UK World Heritage Site". unesco.org.uk. 9 July 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2017.