Ennerdale Water is the most westerly lake in the Lake District national park in Cumbria, northern England. It is a glacial lake, at its deepest only 45 metres (150 ft), and measures between 700 and 1,500 metres (1/2 mile to a mile) across and 3.9 kilometres (2 1/2 miles) long, making it one of the smaller lakes in the Park. It is close to the port of Whitehaven, the town of Cleator Moor, and also the village of Cleator. The lake is owned by United Utilities and is both a reservoir, serving over 30,000 customers daily, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its lakeshore habitats.
Ennerdale Water is used by hikers, tourists and cyclists, but not as heavily as other lakes in the National Park, and thus it has not been spoiled by construction, activity on the lake or any other trappings of intensive tourism. This is due to the Ennerdale valley’s remote location, the lack of a public road up the valley, and management by the Forestry Commission, National Trust and United Utilities. In 2003 these three landowners formed the Wild Ennerdale Partnership with a vision “to allow the evolution of Ennerdale as a wild valley for the benefit of people, relying more on natural processes to shape its landscape and ecology”.
The small village of Ennerdale Bridge lies to the west of the lake. Containing little more than a shop, two pubs and a few houses, it is a typical small Cumbrian village. Once a year, during the last week in August, the Ennerdale Show brings local people together with agricultural displays, competitions, arts and crafts.
Geographically, the lake itself lies nestled in a valley (also known as Ennerdale) surrounded by a large range of fells including some of the highest and best known peaks in Cumbria such as Great Gable (899 m), Green Gable, Brandreth, High Crag, Steeple and Pillar.
The level of the lake has been artificially raised by construction of a weir, to enable it to be used as a reservoir for Whitehaven.
Ennerdale Water is fed by the River Liza and other streams, in turn it feeds the River Ehen which runs to the Irish Sea.
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