The Lake District is England's biggest and probably best known National Park.  Its stunning landscapes attract visitors from all over the world and have inspired generations of authors and artists.

Lake District

The Lake District is England's biggest and probably best known National Park. Its stunning landscapes attract visitors from all over the world and have inspired generations of authors and artists.

Most of the Lake District's 2,292 sq km consist of moorland and fell.  Formed from glacial meltwater, the 16 lakes, of which Windermere is the largest, are arranged like spokes of a wheel in the mountain valleys.  Around Skiddaw, and in the south of the Park, are angular and rounded hills; the central area, including Scafell Pike, is wild and rugged country.  This imposing landscape also has rich literary and artistic associations.

Crowded in summer, Windermere and Ambleside are boating and touring centres.  Grasmere and Rydal, noted for their Wordsworth associations, and Coniston for Ruskin, are finely situated.  Environmentally sensitive electric boats can be hired at the National Park Boating Centre.  Keswick, on Derwent Water, is a focal point for the northern lakes.

Neolithic stone circles, like Castlerigg, and Roman forts, like Hardknott, reflect Lakeland's long history.  Townend at Troutbeck is an example of a local yeoman farmer's house.  Former iron workings and more modern slate quarrying have also left their marks.

Exhibitions and events at Brockhole, the National Park Centre near Windermere, and a park-wide information centre network and events programme help visitors to understand and appreciate Britain's largest National Park.

The 2,896 km of public rights of way provide unrivalled walking and climbing, from gentle lakeside strolls to testing mountain ascents.