An Introduction to The Lake District

Welcome to our local Lakeland introduction from The Lake District dot eu, the site dedicated to the stunning Lake District of northern England.

By any name, The Lakes, The Lake District, Lakeland, this beautiful area of England is familiar to us all. We might never have visited the Lakes but images, stories, poems, legends, photographs, television programmes, films, documentaries, art, sculpture, etc., etc., and all referencing the Lake District, are constantly in front of our eyes, reminding us of this glorious place. We have seen so many of these images that we feel a comfortable familiarity that frequently has nothing to do with having actually visited the Lakes. Nothing, however, can take the place of really exploring this most beautiful of National Parks for yourself.

Although we refer to the area as 'The Lake district', this National Park is also the place where you can see some of Britain's highest mountains, including Scafell Pike which is England's highest, and ranking only behind Scotland's Ben Nevis and Wales' Snowdon. Many town, village and mountain names are familiar to scores of us but the Lake District has dozens of tiny villages, tarns, and hills that need just a little bit more effort to reach but reward the traveller with their beauty.

The visitor to Lakeland might be drawn there for any number of reasons but many make a visit to visit the places where John Ruskin, Beatrice Potter and William Wordsworth were inspired to put pen to paper. It might be that the mountains and their crags present challenges to the walker and climber that can't be ignored; many will follow in the well trodden footsteps of Alfred Wainwright. Many famous climbers have 'cut their teeth' on these steep faces before going on to conquer far-flung Alpine, Himalayan and South American mountains. The ever-changing panorama of mountains, lakes, villages and weather are a source of constant inspiration to artists and photographers. The lakes themselves offer opportunities for using boats of all sizes, from canoes and rowing boats to luxury power cruisers. If studying wildlife and plantlife is your interest, these mountains offer refuge to large numbers of birds and animals, some of which are rarely seen elsewhere. If all you want from your holiday is rest, peace and quiet, then this is also the place to come. For those wanting to browse amongst shops and galleries, the bigger tourist towns like Keswick offer all the browsing you could want and you'll find craft shops, galleries and centres dotted all around the Lake District.

Frequently, when the term 'Lake District' is used, we think of the more well know tourist destinations, including Keswick, Windermere, Hawkshead, Coniston, Borrowdale, Ambleside, The Langdale Pikes, Derwent Water, Helvellyn, Buttermere, Shap Fell, Grasmere, Rydal Water, Ullswater, Catbells, Bassenthwaite, Wast Water, Thirlmere and Haweswater, to name but just a few as this list can appear to be endless. To this list, however, can also be added Grizedale Forest and Kendal which are on the edge of the Lake District.

Historically, from Roman times, sheep farming has always been one of the more important features of the economy. In times past, mining for copper, lead, graphite and slate were aalso important industries and millions of pencils came out from around Keswick. In the heyday of the textile industry, a high percentage of the bobbins needed for the mills was produced in the Lake District. Today, however, the area's biggest money spinner is the tourist industry, which the National Park embraced enthusiastically. Many respected writers, including Daniel Defoe, Celia Fiennes and Thomas Gray, travelled to or through the Lakes, in the years before the 19th century, and wrote of its wild majesty and terrifying appeal, as well as of its beauty. They inspired the interest of the well-to-do of the time and inspired them to visit and see for themselves this wild and intriguing area; they came, they saw, and they loved it.