The Lake District, also called the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous area and national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is known for its natural beauty, including its lakes, coastline, and mountains, as well as its connection to famous writers like Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin, Arthur Ransome, and the Lake Poets.

The Lakeland fells, or mountains, include England’s highest peaks: Scafell Pike (978 meters; 3,209 feet), Helvellyn (950 meters; 3,120 feet), and Skiddaw (931 meters; 3,054 feet). The region also has sixteen major lakes. Windermere is the longest and largest lake in England, measuring 11 miles (18 kilometers) in length and covering 5.69 square miles (14.73 square kilometers). Wast Water is the deepest lake in England, reaching 79 meters (259 feet).

The Lake District National Park was created in 1951 and covers an area of 2,362 square kilometers (912 square miles), which is most of the region. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

National Park

The Lake District National Park covers most of the central Lake District, but parts such as the town of Kendal, some coastal areas, and the Cartmel and Furness peninsulas are outside the park's borders. The area was named a national park on 9 May 1951, one month after the Peak District became the first national park in the UK. Until 2016, the park kept the same boundaries, but it was expanded by 3% to the east, near the Yorkshire Dales National Park, to include land with high landscape value around the Lune Valley.

In 2022, the national park welcomed 18.14 million visitors. This number equals 29.15 million tourist days, counting visits lasting more than three hours. It is the largest of the thirteen national parks in England and Wales and the second largest in the UK after the Cairngorms National Park. The park's goal is to protect its natural landscape by limiting changes caused by industry or business. Most of the park, except for the 2016 expansion, was named a World Heritage Site in 2017 as a cultural landscape. This was the fourth attempt to list the park, as earlier efforts in the 1980s and 2012 did not succeed.

The park is managed by the Lake District National Park Authority, which has offices in Kendal. The authority operates a visitor center at Windermere, located in a former house called Brockhole, a boating center in Coniston, and information centers. The authority has 20 members: six appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council, four by Cumberland Council, and ten by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Human geography

The exact size of the Lake District is not clearly defined, but it is sometimes considered slightly larger than the National Park, which covers about 2,362 square kilometers (912 square miles). The National Park stretches just over 51 kilometers (32 miles) from east to west and nearly 64 kilometers (40 miles) from north to south. Some areas, like the Lake District Peninsulas to the south, are not included in the National Park.

Only a few large towns are located in this mountainous region: Keswick, Windermere, and Bowness-on-Windermere (which are connected to each other), and Ambleside. These towns rely heavily on tourism for their economies. Other important towns near the edge of the National Park include Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal, Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness, Whitehaven, Workington, Cockermouth, Penrith, Millom, and Grange-over-Sands. These towns also have strong economic ties to the Lake District. Smaller villages such as Coniston, Threlkeld, Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, Broughton-in-Furness, Grasmere, Newby Bridge, Staveley, Lindale, Gosforth, and Hawkshead are also located in the area. Beyond these, there are many small hamlets and isolated farmhouses. Some farms still focus on agriculture, while others now support tourism.

The Lake District is almost entirely surrounded by major roads, including the A6, A590, A5092, and A66. The A595 connects the A66 and A5092, forming part of the park’s boundary near the sea. Other roads, like the A591, run through the area, linking Kendal to Windermere and Keswick. The A593 and A5084 connect Ambleside and Coniston to the A590, while the A592 and A5074 link Windermere to the A590. The A592 also continues north to Ullswater and Penrith via the Kirkstone Pass.

Some valleys without major roads are served by B roads, such as the B5289, which connects Lorton Vale and Buttermere, and the B5292, which links Lorton Vale to Braithwaite near Keswick. Other valleys, like Little Langdale, Eskdale, and Dunnerdale, are served by smaller roads. These valleys are connected by steep mountain passes, such as Wrynose and Hardknott, which are popular with cyclists. Minor roads also connect communities in the southern part of the area, linking Kendal, Windermere, and Coniston.

The West Coast Main Line runs along the eastern edge of the Lake District, and the Cumbrian Coast Line passes through the southern and western parts of the area. The Windermere Branch Line connects Kendal to Windermere via Staveley. Some older railways, like those serving Broughton-in-Furness and Coniston, and another line from Penrith to Cockermouth, are no longer in use. Parts of the old tracks are now used by the A66 road.

The Cumbrian Coast Line has three stations within the National Park and one near the park boundary. This railway line offers a glimpse of older railway features, such as manually operated gates, and connects to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a narrow-gauge line that runs from the coast to Eskdale. The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway runs between Windermere and Haverthwaite, allowing tourists to connect with boats on Windermere. The Windermere Ferry provides regular crossings of Windermere, and seasonal boats operate on Coniston Water, Derwent Water, and Ullswater.

The Lake District has many public paths, including footpaths, bridleways, and byways, which are marked at their starting points and other locations. In 2012, there were 2,159 kilometers (1,342 miles) of footpaths, 875 kilometers (544 miles) of bridleways, 15 kilometers (9 miles) of restricted byways, and 30 kilometers (19 miles) of byways open to all traffic. A permit system is in place on Gatescarth Pass. A "right to roam" allows public access to about 50% of the National Park, which includes open countryside like mountains, moors, and heaths.

Many of these paths were created centuries ago and were used as routes between settlements or for traveling across ridges. While they were not originally designed for reaching mountain peaks, they are now used by hikers for that purpose. The Coast to Coast Walk, which crosses northern England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, passes through the National Park from west to east.

Most land in the National Park is privately owned, with about 55% used for farming. Key landowners include:
– Individual farmers and private landowners, who manage more than half of the farmland.
– The National Trust, which owns about 25% of the area, including lakes and land of special landscape value.
– The Forestry Commission and other woodland investors.
– United Utilities, which owns 8% of the land.
– The Lake District National Park Authority, which owns 3.9% of the land.

Physical geography

The Lake District is a large, round area of high land that has many valleys shaped by glaciers over the past 2 million years. These valleys form a pattern that spreads out from a line of high ground stretching from St Bees Head in the west to Shap in the east. Most valleys have a U-shaped shape, which shows they were formed by glaciers. Many of these valleys have long, narrow lakes in rock hollows, with flat areas at their upper ends or where smaller rivers join them, such as Buttermere-Crummock Water and Derwent Water-Bassenthwaite Lake. Smaller lakes called tarns are found in high, bowl-shaped areas formed by glaciers. The many lakes in the area are the reason it is called the Lake District.

Higher areas of the Lake District are rocky, while lower areas have moorland. Plants like bracken and heather grow in well-drained areas, but much of the land is wet because of heavy rainfall. Trees, especially oak, grow on slopes below the tree line, though many areas have planted conifer forests, such as Grizedale Forest in the southern part. The Lake District reaches the sea to the west and south.

The highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike (978 m or 3209 feet), has a clear view on a sunny day that includes the Galloway Hills in Scotland, the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Snowdonia in Wales.

The mountains of the Lake District are also called the "Cumbrian Mountains," "Cumbrian Fells," or "Lakeland Fells." Four of the highest fells are over 3,000 feet (914 m). These are:

• Scafell Pike, 978 m (3,209 ft)
• Scafell, 965 m (3,166 ft)
• Helvellyn, 951 m (3,120 ft)
• Skiddaw, 931 m (3,054 ft)

The Northern Fells are a group of hills in a circle about 13 km (8 miles) wide, between Keswick in the southwest and Caldbeck in the northeast. The highest point in this area is Skiddaw (931 m or 3,054 ft). Other notable hills include Blencathra (also called Saddleback) (868 m or 2,848 ft) and Carrock Fell. Much of this area is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its plants, animals, and rocks. Bassenthwaite Lake is in the valley between this area and the North Western Fells.

The North Western Fells are between Borrowdale and Bassenthwaite Lake to the east and Buttermere and Lorton Vale to the west. The southern end of this area is at Honister Pass. This region includes the Derwent Fells above Newlands Valley and hills like Dale Head and Robinson. To the north are Grasmoor (the highest in the range at 852 m or 2,795 ft), Grisedale Pike, and hills around Coledale. In the far northwest is Thornthwaite Forest and Lord's Seat. The hills here are made of rounded Skiddaw slate, with few tarns and not many rock faces.

The Western Fells are between Buttermere and Wasdale, with Sty Head forming the tip of a large triangle. Ennerdale divides this area, which includes the High Stile ridge north of Ennerdale, the Loweswater Fells in the northwest, the Pillar group in the southwest, and Great Gable (899 m or 2,949 ft) near Sty Head. Other hills include Seatallan, Haystacks, and Kirk Fell. This area has steep, rocky land and a famous rock formation called Pillar Rock. Wastwater, located here, is England’s deepest lake.

The Central Fells are lower than nearby areas, with their highest point at 762 m (2,500 ft) at High Raise. These hills form a ridge between Derwent Water in the west and Thirlmere in the east, stretching from Keswick in the north to Langdale Pikes in the south. A branch of this ridge extends southeast to Loughrigg Fell above Ambleside. The central ridge is very wet.

The Eastern Fells are a long ridge called the Helvellyn range, running from Clough Head to Seat Sandal, with Helvellyn (950 m or 3,118 ft) as the highest point. The western sides of these hills are grassy, while the eastern sides have rocky valleys. The Fairfield group is south of the range and has steep rock faces and hidden valleys leading into Patterdale. This area ends at Red Screes, which overlooks Kirkstone Pass.

The Far Eastern Fells include all the hills east of Ullswater and the A592 road heading south to Windermere. High Street (828 m or 2,717 ft) is the highest point on a ridge that runs north-south and overlooks Haweswater to the east. In the north of this region are lower hills like Martindale Common and Bampton Common, while in the south are hills overlooking Kentmere. Further east, beyond Mardale and Longsleddale, is Shap Fell, a large area of high moorland.

The Southern Fells cover the southwestern part of the Lake District. They include a northern group between Wasdale, Eskdale, and the Langdale valleys; a southeastern group east of Dunnerdale and south of Little Langdale; and a southwestern group bounded by Eskdale to the north and Dunnerdale to the east.

The northern group includes England’s highest mountains: Scafell Pike (978 m or 3,209 ft) in the center and Scafell (965 m or 3,166 ft) one mile (1.6 km) to the southwest. Scafell has a 700 ft (210 m) rock face on its northern side. This group also includes the Wastwater Screes overlooking Wasdale, the Glaramara ridge overlooking Borrowdale, and the Crinkle Crags, Bowfell, and Esk Pike. The area is drained by the River Esk and has some of the Lake District’s most rugged hills.

The second group, called the Furness Fells or Coniston Fells, has the Hardknott and Wrynose passes as its northern boundary. The highest hills here are Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How, which are just over 800 m (2,600 ft).

The third group, west of the Duddon, includes Harter Fell and a long ridge leading to Black Combe and the sea. The southern part of

Geology

The Lake District's geology is complex but has been studied carefully. A large mass of granite, called a batholith, lies beneath the area. This granite is less dense than surrounding rocks, which helps lift the land upward. This granite is visible at the surface in areas such as Ennerdale, Skiddaw, Carrock Fell, Eskdale, and Shap.

The area can be divided into three main sections, which run from southwest to northeast. In general, the rocks in these sections are younger as you move from the northwest to the southeast. The westernmost section contains early to mid-Ordovician sedimentary rocks, mostly mudstones and siltstones formed from ocean materials. These rocks are part of the Skiddaw Group and are traditionally called Skiddaw Slates. These rocks are easily broken down, leading to smooth mountain slopes like those of Skiddaw itself.

The central section includes a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rocks from mid-to-late Ordovician times. These rocks, part of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, were formed when lava and volcanic ash erupted as the Iapetus Ocean was pushed under what is now the Scottish border during the Caledonian orogeny. Large lava flows created peaks like Great Rigg. Later, volcanic eruptions formed craters, one of which includes Scafell Pike. These volcanic rocks create the rugged landscapes of the central fells.

The easternmost section contains mudstones and wackes from the Windermere Supergroup, including layers from the Dent, Stockdale, Tranearth, Coniston, and Kendal groups. These rocks are less resistant to erosion than those to the north and form the lower areas around Coniston and Windermere.

Later rock formations have created separate areas of igneous rock within each section. Along the edges of these Ordovician and Silurian rocks, on the northern, eastern, and southern sides of the area, there is a continuous layer of Carboniferous Limestone. This limestone is clearly visible in places such as Whitbarrow Scar and Scout Scar.

Climate

The Lake District is located on the northwest coast of England and has many mountains. Because of this, it is the wettest area in England. The UK Met Office reports that the average yearly rainfall is more than 2,000 mm (80 in), but rainfall amounts vary greatly in different places.

Although the entire region gets more rain than average, rainfall differs between the western and eastern parts of the Lake District because of relief rainfall. Seathwaite, Borrowdale, is the wettest inhabited place in England, receiving an average of 3,300 mm (130 in) of rain each year. Nearby, Sprinkling Tarn gets even more, with over 5,000 mm (200 in) of rain yearly. In contrast, Keswick, near the lower end of Borrowdale, gets 1,470 mm (58 in) of rain annually, and Penrith, just outside the Lake District, gets 870 mm (34 in). March to June are usually the driest months, while October to January are the wettest. However, differences between months are small at lower elevations.

Although only about five days a year have strong winds in sheltered valleys, the Lake District is generally very windy. Coastal areas experience 20 days of strong winds yearly, and mountain tops have about 100 days of strong winds. The maritime climate causes the Lake District to have mild temperature changes throughout the year. Average temperatures in the valleys range from about 3 °C (37 °F) in January to around 15 °C (59 °F) in July. For comparison, Moscow, at the same latitude, has temperatures ranging from −10 to 19 °C (14 to 66 °F).

Most of the fells in the Lake District are not very high, so snow is common in winter but not always present. Significant snowfall usually happens between November and April. On average, Helvellyn gets snow on 67 days yearly. In the valleys, snow falls on about 20 days a year, with an additional 200 days of rain and 145 completely dry days. Hill fog is common throughout the year, and the fells receive about 2.5 hours of sunshine daily, increasing to around 4.1 hours on coastal plains.

Wildlife

The Lake District has many different types of animals and plants because of its varied landscape, lakes, and forests. It is a safe place for red squirrels and colonies of sundew and butterwort, two of the few carnivorous plants found in Britain. The Lake District is especially important for red squirrels, as it has the largest population in England. There are about 140,000 red squirrels in the United Kingdom, compared to around 2.5 million grey squirrels.

The Lake District is home to many bird species, and the RSPB manages a reserve at Haweswater. England’s last nesting pair of golden eagles was found in the Lake District. The female was last seen in 2004, and the male was last seen in 2015. In 2001, a pair of ospreys nested in the Lake District for the first time in over 150 years near Bassenthwaite Lake. Ospreys now return from Africa each spring to nest in the Lake District, and 23 baby ospreys have left their nests in the area since 2001. Another bird, the red kite, has been reintroduced to the Lake District. As of 2012, about 90 red kites live near Grizedale and successfully bred in 2014, the first time in Cumbria in over 200 years. Conservationists hope this effort will grow the red kite population in the Lake District and North West England, where numbers are low. Other birds that live in the Lake District include buzzards, dippers, peregrines, and common ravens. Birds that visit seasonally include ring ouzels and common redstarts.

The lakes in the Lake District support three rare and endangered fish species. The vendace is found only in Derwent Water and, until 2008, in Bassenthwaite Lake. Vendace have struggled in recent years due to algae and rising lake temperatures. To protect the species, vendace have been moved to higher lakes in 2005 and 2011. Two other rare fish species live in the Lake District: the schelly, found in Brothers Water, Haweswater, Red Tarn, and Ullswater, and the Arctic charr, found in Buttermere, Coniston Water, Crummock Water, Ennerdale Water, Haweswater, Loweswater, Thirlmere, Wast Water, and Windermere.

In recent years, new rules have been created to protect rare fish in the Lake District. In 2002, the Environment Agency banned using any freshwater fish as live or dead bait in 14 Lake District lakes, including Bassenthwaite Lake, Buttermere, Coniston Water, and Windermere. People who break these rules can be fined up to £2,500.

The lakes of the Lake District do not support as many fish species as similar habitats in other parts of the UK and Europe. Some fish that live there are at risk from non-native species. Non-native fish can harm native fish by eating them, competing for food, or spreading diseases. For example, ruffe, a non-native fish, has been introduced to several lakes in recent years. Ruffe eats the eggs of vendace, which are vulnerable because their eggs take up to 120 days to hatch. In contrast, the eggs of other fish, like roach, are only at risk for about three days.

The Lake District has a unique collection of lichen species in mountain areas, with over 55 species found in high places. While less diverse than the Scottish Highlands, the region has several rare lichen species, especially on base-rich rocks. Brown Cove Tarn is important internationally for its rare lichen species. The Helvellyn range is especially significant, with Brown Cove having the richest lichen communities. A key species is Umbilicaria crustulosa, first discovered in Langdale in 1889. Lichen growth in the area has been affected by heavy sheep grazing since the 14th century, leading to smaller lichen mats than those in the Scottish Highlands. The wet climate, with over 4,000mm of rain each year in central areas, along with acidic rocks and grazing, makes it hard for lichens to grow. However, some lichen species survive in sheltered spots, like gullies and boulders near tarns, where they form patterns based on water levels and exposure.

Economy

Farming, especially sheep farming, has been the main industry in the region since Roman times. The most well-known sheep breed in the area is the hardy Herdwick, while Rough Fell and Swaledale sheep are also common. Sheep farming continues to be important for the region’s economy and for keeping the landscape as visitors expect to see it. Features like dry stone walls were created because of sheep farming. Some land is also used for silage and dairy farming.

The area was greatly affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom in 2001. The outbreak began in Surrey in February and reached Cumbria by the end of March. Thousands of sheep, including the native Herdwicks that graze on the fells, were destroyed. A challenge in replacing the sheep was that many of the lost sheep were heafed, meaning they knew their specific area of the unfenced fell and did not wander. This knowledge was passed down through generations. After losing all the sheep at once, the sheep had to relearn this knowledge. For five years, discreet electric fences were placed on some fells to help the sheep "re-heaf." At the time, people worried about the future of certain sheep breeds like Ryeland and Herdwick, but these concerns have been eased, and sheep now live in the area in large numbers.

Forestry has become more important in the last century, with large conifer plantations established in places like Whinlatter Pass, Ennerdale, and Grizedale Forest. These plantations include non-native pine trees.

The region has long been known for its variety of rock types, which made mining and quarrying important parts of the Lake District’s economy. In Neolithic times, the Lake District was a major source of stone axes, with examples found across Britain. The main site, on the slopes of Langdale Pikes, is sometimes called a "stone axe factory" of the Langdale axe industry. Some of the earliest stone circles in Britain are linked to this industry.

Mining, especially for copper, lead (often with silver), baryte, graphite, and slate, was a major industry in the Lake District from the 16th to 19th centuries. Coppiced woodland was used to make charcoal for smelting. Some mining still happens today, such as slate mining at Honister Mines near Honister Pass. Abandoned mine areas can be seen on fellsides throughout the district. Locally mined graphite helped develop the pencil industry, especially around Keswick.

In the middle of the 19th century, half of the world’s textile industry’s bobbin supply came from the Lake District. However, over the past century, tourism has grown to become the area’s main source of income.

Early visitors to the Lake District, who traveled for education and enjoyment, included Celia Fiennes, who in 1698 rode through Kendal and over Kirkstone Pass into Patterdale. Her experiences were written about in her book Great Journey to Newcastle and Cornwall.

In 1724, Daniel Defoe published the first volume of A Tour Thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain. He described Westmorland as:

By the end of the 18th century, the area became more popular with travelers, partly because of wars in Europe that limited travel there. In 1778, Thomas West wrote A Guide to the Lakes, starting the era of modern tourism. West listed "stations," viewpoints where tourists could enjoy the landscape and appreciate its beauty. Some of these stations had buildings built to help tourists. Today, visitors can see the remains of Claife Station near Windermere.

William Wordsworth published his Guide to the Lakes in 1810, and by 1835, the book had reached its fifth edition, now called A Guide Through the District of the Lakes in the North of England. This book helped make the region famous. Wordsworth’s favorite valley was Dunnerdale or the Duddon Valley in the southwest of the Lake District.

The growth of the railway system brought more tourists to the Lake District. The Kendal and Windermere Railway reached Kendal in 1846 and Windermere in 1847. Other lines, such as the one to Coniston and the one through Keswick to Cockermouth, opened later. These railways, built to support industry, greatly increased the number of visitors, helping tourism grow. Railway services were supported by steamers on major lakes like Ullswater, Windermere, Coniston Water, and Derwent Water.

Tourism continued to grow with the rise of the motor car, even as some railways were closed. The creation of the Lake District National Park in 1951 aimed to protect the environment from overuse while allowing people to visit freely. The M6 Motorway helped bring more traffic to the area, passing along its eastern side.

Narrow roads have caused traffic problems, especially since the 1960s. Congestion and parking issues remain in towns and villages. Bowness-on-Windermere addressed parking by building a new car park and expanding an existing one. The Lake District National Park provides a list and map of car parks to help visitors plan their trips.

While roads and railways made the area more accessible, many people were drawn to the Lake District by Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Published between 1955 and 1966, these books described 214 fells with detailed maps, panoramas, and stories. They remain popular guides for hikers aiming to "bag" all the Wainwrights. The guides were revised by Chris Jesty between 2005 and 2009 and are now being updated by Clive Hutchby. The first revised book, Book One: The Eastern Fells, was published in 2015, and the most recent, Book Six: The North Western Fells, was published in 2019.

Since the early 1960s, the National Park Authority has employed rangers to manage tourism and development. The first ranger, John Wyatt, later wrote several guidebooks. More rangers have been added over time.

The area is also linked to the writer Beatrix Potter. Many visitors visit her family home,

Literature and the arts

The Lake District has inspired creativity in many fields.

The area is closely connected to English literature from the 18th and 19th centuries. Thomas Gray first brought the region to attention when he wrote a journal about his Grand Tour in 1769. However, William Wordsworth’s poems were the most famous and influential. His poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," inspired by seeing daffodils near Ullswater, is one of the most well-known in the English language. Wordsworth lived in the Lake District for 60 years of his 80-year life. He first lived in Hawkshead as a schoolboy, then in Grasmere from 1799 to 1813, and later in Rydal Mount from 1813 to 1850. Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey became known as the Lake Poets.

Wordsworth and his wife are buried in the churchyard of Grasmere. Nearby are the remains of Hartley Coleridge, the son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who lived in Keswick, Ambleside, and Grasmere. Robert Southey, the Poet Laureate and friend of Wordsworth, lived in Keswick for 40 years (1803–1843) and was buried in Crosthwaite churchyard. Samuel Taylor Coleridge also lived in Keswick and with the Wordsworths in Grasmere.

The Lake District is mentioned in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet looks forward to a holiday there with her aunt and uncle but is disappointed when they cannot go.

Charlotte Turner Smith’s novel Ethelinde begins with a vivid description of Grasmere, including a Gothic abbey. This is believed to have introduced Wordsworth to the area as a possible place to live.

From 1807 to 1815, John Wilson lived at Windermere. Thomas de Quincey lived in Grasmere from 1809 to 1828 in the first cottage Wordsworth had lived in. Ambleside and its surroundings were home to Thomas Arnold, who spent his final years there, and Harriet Martineau, who built a house there in 1845. Mrs. Lynn Linton was born in Keswick in 1822. John Ruskin lived at Brantwood, near Coniston Water, during his final years. His assistant, W. G. Collingwood, lived nearby and wrote Thorstein of the Mere, set in the Norse period.

Many other poets and writers visited the Lake District or were friends with those already mentioned. These include Percy Bysshe Shelley, Sir Walter Scott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Hugh Clough, Henry Crabb Robinson, "Conversation" Sharp, Thomas Carlyle, John Keats, Lord Tennyson, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Matthew Arnold, Felicia Hemans, Thomas Cooper, and Gerald Massey.

Although she likely never visited, Letitia Elizabeth Landon wrote 16 poems about the Lake District and its surroundings. These were published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Books from 1832 to 1838. One of these, Grasmere Lake (A Sketch by a Cockney), is a humorous piece about becoming a "lakes poet."

In the early 20th century, Beatrix Potter lived at Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. She used the area as the setting for her Peter Rabbit books. Her life was made into a film starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. Arthur Ransome lived in the Lake District and set five Swallows and Amazons books in a fictional version of the area. Geoffrey Trease also set his Black Banner school stories in the Lake District.

Sir Hugh Walpole lived at "Brackenburn" near Derwent Water from 1924 until his death in 1941. While there, he wrote The Herries Chronicle, a novel about a fictional Cumbrian family. Norman Nicholson, a poet, lived and wrote about Millom in the 20th century.

Melvyn Bragg grew up in the Lake District and used it as a setting in his novel A Time to Dance, which was later adapted into a TV drama.

The Lake District is the setting for Richard Adams’ 1977 novel The Plague Dogs. Adams’ knowledge of the area gives readers a clear picture of its natural beauty. The story is based on a fictional version of Lawson Park, near Coniston Water.

The Lake District has also inspired crime novels by Reginald Hill, Val McDermid, and Martin Edwards. It appears in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novella The Torrents of Spring and in Jilly Cooper’s romantic novel Prudence. It is also featured in Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Booker Prize. The 1996 Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot includes a young girl’s journey to the Lake District. Sophie Jackson’s mystery novel The Woman Died Thrice is also set in the area.

James Rebanks, a memoirist and nature writer, has written about the Lake District in books like The Shepherd’s Life (2015) and English Pastoral (2020), which describe his life as a sheep farmer.

The Lake District has inspired many artists. Alfred Heaton Cooper and William Heaton Cooper are two of the most famous artists who painted the region.

German artist Kurt Schwitters visited the Lake District while in exile in Britain and moved there permanently in 1945, living there until his death.

Film director Ken Russell lived in the Keswick/Borrowdale area from 1975 to 2007 and used it in films like Tommy and Mahler.

The Keswick School of Industrial Art, started in 1884 by Canon Rawnsley, a friend of John Ruskin, is another example of the area’s influence.

Grizedale Arts, a contemporary art organization based in Lawson Park since 2007, hosts artists’ residencies and has developed a garden with artworks and plants. Grizedale Arts has supported the careers of several Turner Prize-winning artists, including Laure Provoust, whose installation Wantee was displayed at Coniston’s Ruskin Museum in 2013. It also helped restore the historic Coniston Institute and opened

Nomenclature

Several words and phrases are found in the Lake District and are part of the Cumbrian dialect. Many of these words are also used in other northern dialects. These include:

• Fell – a word that comes from the Old Norse word fjallr, brought to England by Viking invaders. It is similar to the modern Norwegian word fjell and the Swedish word fjäll, both meaning mountain.
• Howe – a place name from the Old Norse word haugr, meaning hill, knoll, or mound.
• Tarn – a word that refers to a small lake found in a corrie (a local name for this type of valley is cove or comb). It can also be used more generally to describe any small pool of water. The word comes from the Old Norse, Norwegian, and Swedish words tjern/tjärn, meaning small lake.
• Yan tan tethera – a system used for counting sheep that was traditionally used in the Lake District. Though it is now rare, it is still taught in local schools.
• Heaf (a variation of heft) – the "home territory" of a flock of sheep.