Lake District National Park

The Lake District National Park lies in Cumbria, in north-west England. It is a mountainous region of lakes, coast and fells, with England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike, among its 2,362 square kilometres. Sixteen major lakes dot the landscape, including Windermere, the longest and largest in England, and Wast Water, the deepest. The area became a national park in 1951 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. The park draws millions of visitors each year to its dramatic scenery and literary links. Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin, Arthur Ransome and the Lake Poets all lived and worked here. The park authority, based in Kendal, runs visitor centres at Brockhole on Windermere and Coniston Boating Centre. A network of roads and minor lanes threads through the valleys, while heritage railways and seasonal boats offer other ways to explore. Visitors find villages like Keswick, Ambleside and Grasmere set among the fells. Coniston Water and Derwent Water provide boat trips, and Ullswater has seasonal passenger boats. Footpaths and bridleways cross the fells, including the popular climbs of Wrynose and Hardknott passes. The A591 from Kendal to Keswick passes Grasmere, and the Kirkstone Pass links Windermere with Ullswater.