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Most experts agree that there are sixteen lakes in the Lake District although this can be misinterpreted as there is only one named lake i.e. Bassenthwaite Lake. All the rest are either meres or waters. To confuse matters further, the word "mere" actually means "lake" so for sanities sake, I think it'll be easier to agree on sixteen lakes! There are many other pieces of water, called tarns. Although some tarns are bigger than one of the so-called lakes, most of the tarns, however, are very small, and some are not even named. The sixteen lakes are listed here. To view a map of the Lakes, click on this link: MAP
Bassenthwaite Lake - OS Grid Reference NY 220 290 Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest at four miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide, but also one of the shallowest (70 ft). It is the most northerly of the lakes, and has no major settlements on its shores. There is a shore path which runs the length of the west shore, but there is no access to the east side except at Mirehouse. Bassenthwaite is home to the vendace, a rare and endangered fish species found only here and in Derwentwater.
Buttermere - OS Grid Reference NY 180 160 Buttermere - the lake by the dairy pastures - is one and a half miles long, three quarters of a mile wide and 75 feet deep. There is a footpath running round the perimeter of the lake, and lovely walks to the summits of Haystacks and Red Pike. In the little Church of St. James, is a stone tablet set into the windowsill of a south window as a memorial to Alfred Wainwright, the famous walker and author of guidebooks. The window looks out on his favourite place to walk, Haystacks, where at his wish his ashes were scattered.
Coniston Water - OS Grid Reference SD 305 950 At five and a quarter miles long, half a mile wide and with a maximum depth of 184 feet, Coniston Water is the third largest of the lakes. It has three small islands. Sir Malcolm Campbell chose Coniston for his attempt at the water speed record in 1939, which he achieved at over 141.74 miles per hour. On his death, his son Donald Campbell took up where his father left off. His aim was to better 300 miles per hour, which he did on 4th January 1967, but the craft, the turbo-jet engined 'Bluebird K7', shot up into the air and disintegrated into the lake. His body and the remains of the craft have recently been recovered.
Crummock Water - OS Grid Reference NY 155 190 Situated between Loweswater and Buttermere. It is two and a half miles long, three quarters of a mile wide and 144 feet deep and is a clear, rocky bottomed lake. The lake is fed by numerous streams including the beck from Scale Force, which with a drop of 170 feet is Lakeland's tallest waterfall.
Derwentwater - OS Grid Reference NY 260 200 Derwentwater, at 3 miles long, 1 mile wide and 72 feet deep, is fed by the River Derwent catchment area in the high fells at the head of Borrowdale. The lake has four islands. There are also plenty of lake-side paths to follow.
Elterwater - OS Grid Reference NY 335 040 Lying at the junction of the Great and Little Langdale valleys, Elterwater - lake of the swans - is only half a mile long and, therefore, the smallest of the sixteen lakes. Silt and other river-borne material is building up around the shoreline which effectively is reducing the size of the lake, will eventually lead to it's complete disappearance.
Ennerdale Water - OS Grid Reference NY 110 150 Ennerdale is the most westerly of the lakes, and the most remote, so it offers, even in high season, a place to escape. It is a deep glacial lake, two and a half miles long, three quarters of a mile wide and 148 feet deep. The water is exceptionally clear, and contains a variety of fish. It serves as a reservoir for the coastal towns of West Cumbria, and is the only lake that does not have a road running alongside it.
Esthwaite Water - OS Grid Reference SD 360 965 Esthwaite Water - the lake by the eastern clearing - is one and a half miles long and nearly half a mile wide and lies a short distance south-east of Hawkshead. It's outlet, the Cunsey Beck, feeds Windermere.
Grasmere - OS Grid Reference NY 340 065 Grasmere at 1 mile long, half a mile wide and 75 feet deep, would be an attractive and popular tourist area even without its Wordsworth connections. The small island in the middle of the lake was his favourite destination while he was staying at nearby Dove Cottage.
Haweswater - OS Grid Reference NY 480 140 Four miles long and 198 feet deep (when full), submerged beneath the waters of Haweswater Reservoir lies the old settlement of Mardale Green, drowned in 1940 when the valley was dammed , flooded and the water-level raised by 96 feet. The lake is also home to a rare silvery fish known as a schelly (skelly).
Loweswater - OS Grid Reference NY 125 215 Nestled in a wooded valley in the far west of the Lake District, in the Vale of Lorton, Loweswater is a peaceful lake that is often bypassed. At approximately 1 mile in length, half a mile wide and 60 feet deep, it provides an excellent lake circuit for walkers. Loweswater is unique within the Lake District, as it is the only lake that drains towards the center of Lakeland - to Crummock Water which it was once joined to.
Rydal Water - OS Grid Reference NY 355 062 Rydal Water is the second smallest of the sixteen lakes at three quarters of a mile long, quarter of a mile wide and with a depth of 55 feet. Steps lead up from the western end of the lake to 'Wordsworth's Seat' - reputedly the poet's favourite viewpoint. There is a pleasant walk round Rydal Water which can also include Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount, two of Wordsworth's homes, and which also passes Rydal Cave - a large cavern in the hill above the lake.
Thirlmere - OS Grid Reference NX 310 170 Thirlmere, at three and a half miles long, and almost one and a quarter mile wide and 158 feet deep, was originally two smaller lakes, which were purchased by Manchester City Corporation Waterworks in 1889. The area was dammed with a dam whose greatest height is 104 feet, and the area became one vast reservoir. In the process, the settlements of Armboth and Wythburn were submerged, the only remaining building being the little church at Wythburn The lake is best appreciated from the little road that threads its way along the west shore line. The lake, now owned by North West Water, has recently been opened to the public. There is access at the several lay-bys and car parks along the west road.
Ullswater - OS Grid Reference NY 440 205 Ullswater is the second largest lake at seven and a half miles long, on average three quarters of a mile wide and with a maximum depth of 205 feet at Howtown. It has three distinct bends giving it a dog's leg appearance. Ullswater is clear but deep, and in the deepest part lives a curious silvery fish called a schelly (skelly), a sort of freshwater herring. Possibly the best lakeshore walk is found on Ullswater's south eastern shore, between Howtown and Glenridding.
Wastwater - OS Grid Reference NY 160 060 Situated in the Wasdale Valley, this lake, once know as Broadwater, is 3 miles long, half a mile wide and 258 feet deep, and the deepest of all the lakes. Wastwater is perhaps the most awe-inspiring of all the lakes. Surrounded by mountains, Red Pike, Kirk Fell, Great Gable and Scafell Pike - England's highest mountain. Extending the length of the south-east side of the lake are the Screes, consisting of millions of fragments of broken rock and rising from the floor of the lake to a height of almost 200 feet, giving the lake an ominous appearance. There is a National Trust campsite at the Wasdale Head end of the lake. At the other end is the Wasdale Hall Youth Hostel.
Windermere - OS Grid Reference SD 395 960 Windermere, at twelve miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep, is the largest natural lake in England, and is fed by numerous rivers. It is almost divided in the middle by Belle Isle, the largest of the lake's fourteen islands.
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