Buttermere is a lake in the north-west of the English Lake District. It is 1¼ miles long (2 km) by ¼ mile (500 m) wide, and is 75 feet (23 m) deep. It has an elevation above sea level of 329 feet (100 m).

A place of considerable scenic value, it is situated towards the head of the valley of the river Cocker and is surrounded by fells, notably the High Stile range to the southwest, Robinson to the northeast, Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks to the southeast and Grasmoor to the northwest.

The village of Buttermere stands at the northwest end of the lake, and beyond this is Buttermere’s twin, Crummock Water. There is a path around the lake which is about 4 ½ miles (7.2 km) long, and at one point runs through a rock tunnel beneath the locality of Hasness.

Access is by road, either from Cockermouth in the northwest or from Borrowdale via the Honister Pass. The lake is owned by the National Trust and is part of the National Trust property called Buttermere and Ennerdale.

Buttermere means “the lake by the dairy pastures”.

Mary Robinson (1778-1837), known as the Maid of Buttermere and the subject of Melvyn Bragg’s novel of that name, was the daughter of the landlord of the Fish Inn in Buttermere village.

There is a footpath which circumnavigates the lake.

Buttermere is surrounded by the dramatic high fells of Red Pike, High Stile, Scarf Gap and High Crag. To the south of the lake stand Warnscale (which derives from the old Norse ‘Skali’- summer passtures) Haystacks, and Fleetwith Pike. Haystacks at 1,959 feet (597metres) is perhaps the easiest summit in the ridge to climb and is an impressive and inspiring sight, it was one of Alfred Wainwright’s favourie mountains. (OS grid ref:- NY194132)

It’s summit has a profusion of small pools, tarns and marshland. The best views of the lake are from the west across to Fleetwith Pike

The area saw large settlement of Vikings in the 9th and 10th centuries and many names of Norse origin linger in the area, streams are termed becks, from the Old Norse ‘bekr’, mountains are ‘fells’ from the Norse fjall, waterfalls forces (fos), ravines ‘gills’ and small lakes are termed tarns which derives from ‘tjorn’, meaning teardrop.

Rannerdale on the lake’s north shore, is famous for its spring carpet of bluebells. Rannerdale Knotts at 1160ft, can be accessed from Buttermere village, its summit offers superb views of Crummock Water, Buttermere and the surrounding fells. Most of the Buttermere and the land surrounding it are owned by the National Trust.

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