Bassenthwaite Lake

Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest of the Lake District at approximately 4 miles long and ¾ miles wide. Despite its size this long and narrow lake is very shallow, at its deepest point it reaches a depth of just 70 feet. The Lake is easily accessible with the A66 dual carriageway running along the western edge. The laybys are extremely popular for people wanting to take pictures and a spot of bird watching.

Coniston Water

Coniston is the third largest of the lakes and is approximately 5 miles long and ½ a mile wide. The lake is hugely popular with tourist due to its large expanse of water, which contains a number of tranquil islands, as well as the stunning scenery. The lake was famously the setting for the book Swallows and Amazons as well as the setting for Donald Campbell’s ill fated attempt to break the water speed record.

Derwentwater

Derwentwater is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide making it the widest lake in the Lake District.

The lake has a number of islands within, one of which contains Derwent Island House which is open to the public just 5 days a year.

The huge Skiddaw overlooking the lake and the nearby market town of Keswick make Derwent one of the most popular lakes for visitors.

Ullswater

Ullswater is the second largest of all the lakes in the Lake District at approximately 9 miles long and ¾ of a mile wide.

Regarded by many as the most beautiful of all the lakes, Ullswater often finds itself compared to lakes in Switzerland, such as Lucerne.

This favourable comparison is thanks to the beautiful scenery with mountains to one side and green fields and woodland on the other. The lake is great for water sports, with canoeing, sailing and wind surfing particularly popular. There are also the more relaxing steamer boats that take you on a cruise of the lake.

Windermere

Windermere is the largest lake in the Lake District and is the largest in the whole of England at approximately 10.5 miles long and 1 mile wide. As well as being the largest of the lakes Windermere is also the most well known and has long been a very popular attraction for tourists. Many of the tourists who do visit end up taking part in at least one of the many on water activities available. These range from wake boarding, sailing and canoeing to a more sedate pleasure cruise.

A beautiful video of various place in the Lake District, Cumbria. Filmed and edited by Phil Brown.

HF Holidays, the UK’s largest walking and leisure activity holidays provider, and the National Trust have completed extensive restoration projects at Coniston in the Lake District.

At Monk Coniston on the Coniston Estate, HF Holidays – who have leased this lakeside property from the Trust since 1945 – have just finished a £600,000 restoration programme including roof repairs and exterior and interior renovations.

HF Holidays operates the property as Country House Hotel base for its walking and leisure activity holidays and the work represents a significant investment over 12 months.

At the same time, National Trust volunteers have finished a three year project to restore Monk Coniston’s Victorian Walled Garden and the footpaths leading from the garden to Coniston Water and Tarn Hows. The extensive works were supported by £450,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other investors.

A garden celebration event was organised by the National Trust with a presentation held in the 17th century dry stone wall barn at Monk Coniston Hall to mark the success and achievements of the restoration project.

The event culminated in the presentation by Lord Cavendish of an award from the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA).

John Croxford, House Manager of Monk Coniston said: “We are delighted to be able to help the National Trust celebrate this spectacular project at the time when our year-long renovation is also complete. As one of the HF Holidays Country Houses owned by the National Trust, we are in a very privileged position to be able to share the National Trust’s vision and see our guests benefit from this joint investment into the Estate.”

Members of the public are able to access the Monk Coniston grounds via a permissive path from the head of Coniston Water

The tourism destination of the Lake District reported an excellent Easter period this year.

The success of Easter in the Lake District is very much hoped by the tourism operators there to continue throughout the rest of the year. The euro exchange rate, rising transport costs, costs when abroad and the need to return to the traditional values of a holiday, all seem to be drawing holiday makers back to the UK.

Self catering in particular has risen in the last year throughout the whole of the UK. Some operators recording a 50% rise in bookings on the same period last year. Self catering operators have been busy renovating and refurbishing holiday properties and there is a huge choice of luxury Lake District self catering properties to choose from. There are many operators offering late deals and weekend breaks too.

For years, self catering properties have had to be booked months in advance and for only full weeks. With late deals being such a widely used method of booking holidays and trips today, all sectors of the tourism industry have had to change. A large change is the ability to be able to book a short break in a Lake District self catering property whether it be for a long weekend or mid week break. A full week isn’t always required and many consumers can be put off booking for the thought of wasting part of a week they have paid for.

The South Lakes is the busiest and most popular area of the Lake District as it includes such famous and picturesque locations as Ambleside, Grasmere and Coniston along with many of the famous Lakeland walks. For a quieter Lake District cottages holiday, areas further west such as Cartmel and the Lake District Peninsulas are must stay destinations. Cartmel is the oldest and most picturesque village in South Lakeland, famous for its cobbled streets and alleyways, sticky toffee pudding, Cartmel Priory (circa 1189), and 6 times a year the glorious Cartmel races held at Cartmel’s village steeplechase racecourse set against the backdrop of the beautiful English Lake District, also a popular venue for Lake District weddings. Lake District self catering properties range from town centre flats to remote cottages and barn conversations so the appeal is wide. Many of the refurbished or recently renovated properties have luxury fitting in the bathrooms and kitchen with modern appliances and wood burning stoves.

So whether it is the hustle and bustle of Ambleside or the serenity of Cartmel, Cumbrian cottages are definitely worth a go this year.

Donald Campbell’s iconic Bluebird K7 will be allowed to breach the 10mph speed limit on the lake where he died, national park officials have decided.

Campbell was killed on Coniston Water in Cumbria in 1967 while trying to break a world speed record.

The boat was recovered from the lake in 2001 and is currently being restored.

On Wednesday, the Lake District National Park Authority said it would permit Bluebird to reach 100mph in a one-off “seaworthiness” trial.

The current lake byelaws do not allow any speed in excess of 10mph, except in a legitimate bid for a national or world speed record.

The park authority’s chief executive Richard Leafe said: “It was a majority vote in favour of running Bluebird K7 on Coniston Water for a one-off proving trial.

“But members were against the regular running of Bluebird K7 on the lake. They felt that that that would be a step too far.”

BBC news, 20th May 2009