Facts about the Lake District
The Lake District is the largest National Park in England, covering 885 square miles, and is also one of the most visited parts of the country. Some interesting, fun facts about the Lake District include:
• Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England, at 3,210 feet.
• The longest lake is Windermere, at 10.5 miles, and the deepest, Wastwater at 243 feet.
• In the heavy rains of 2009, Windermere rose by 157cm.
• The only official lake is Bassenthwaite Lake, as all the others are ´meres´ or ´waters.´
• The main 14 lakes in the region cover 5,669 hectares in total.
• The Lake District National Park was established in 1951.
• Nearly 16 million people visited the Lake District in 2010.
• Seathwaite is the wettest inhabited place in England, with average rainfall of 3,552mm.
• The Lake District has over 6,000 archaeological sites and monuments, dating from prehistory to WW2, 1,740 listed buildings and 21 conservation areas.
• Helvellyn´s Striding Edge, with steep drops on either side of a narrow ridge, has been filmed and photographed countless times for books and TV programmes.
• William Wordsworth is buried in St. Oswald´s Churchyard in Grasmere, along with his wife, Mary and his beloved sister, Dorothy.
• Hardknott is the best preserved Roman fort in the UK. The fort was built 260 metres above sea level, near the Roman road which leads from the coast over the Hardknott and Wrynose passes.
• Famous social reformer and art critic, John Ruskin lived at Brantwood, beside Lake Coniston. Ruskin was one of the region´s most influential residents, and declared that the beauty of the Lake District should be preserved for all to enjoy.
• The first books written by famous children´s author and Lake District resident, Beatrix Potter were rejected by the publishers.
• 20% of all visitors to Hill Top, former home of Beatrix Potter, are from Japan.
• Graphite was first discovered in the hills around Keswick in the 16th Century, and when the pencil was invented it led to the development of a massive industry in the Lake District. Today, the Cumberland Pencil Museum sits on the site of the original factory.
• The Castlerigg Stone Circle is an ancient monument with 38 stones, some of which are 8 feet high. The stones stand in an oval shape, which is approximately 100 feet in diameter, with ten more stones shaped like a rectangle inside. No one knows the real purpose of this fascinating monument.
• Thirlmere´s water is carried by a 96 mile aqueduct, and provides water to nearly 1 million homes in Manchester. Previously there had been two small tarns called Leathes Water and Wythburn Water which were connected by a small stream. An Act of Parliament was passed so the lake could be created. The aqueduct was connected up in 1894.
• Lake District fields and fells are separated from each other by dry stone walls, and no cement is used in the construction of the walls. It is a skilled job to fix or repair the walls, and the National Trust is determined to stick to the traditional methods of dry stone walling.
Wherever you decide to stay in the Lake District, you will find a wealth of things to see and do throughout the year. One of the best places to base yourself is Windermere or Bowness, where you can find reasonably priced boutique hotels, guest houses, b&b accommodation and spa hotels within easy reach of the most famous lake in Britain.
