# Lingmoor Guest House

## Accomodation in the heart of the Lake District

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# Beautiful Local Lakes

## Touring the Lakes of The Lake District

Lingmoor’s central location makes it the perfect location for touring the Lake District and visiting the many Lakes and Tarns. Although technically there is actually only one true lake in the District – Bassenthwaite Lake (the rest are ‘meres’ or ‘waters’), they are commonly referred to as Lakes, and there are no shortage of Lakes or tarns to explore.

All have their own unique and spectacular backdrops of fells, crags and mountain peaks, making each one worthy of a visit in their own right. Below we will introduce you to some of them:

### The Lakes of The Lake District

Lake Windermere
Visitors on a short break to the lakes can cruise slowly and sedately down the length of Lake Windermere in a vintage steamer; the perfect vista for soaking up the breathtaking scenery. At 10.5 miles long, Windermere is England’s longest lake, stretching from Newby Bridge to Ambleside.

Wastwater
The most dramatic lake of them all and a personal favourite, is Wastwater over on the west side of the Lake District. This lake has the tallest screes and is the deepest lake. It is very popular with the diving community. At Wasdale Head there is the most delightful small church surrounded by a screen of Yew Trees. There is a very good pub at Wasdale Head, where you can sit and cool off in the summer or warm up by the real fire in the winter.

Coniston
Visit Coniston Water, to the west of Windermere, the third largest of all the lakes. Wander around the delightful village or take the elegant Victorian Steam Yacht Gondola or walk to Brantwood: home of John Ruskin the Victorian philosopher who declared the view over the lake to ‘The Old Man of Coniston’ as ‘the best in all of England’. Coniston Water is also the place on which Arthur Ransome based his book Swallows and Amazons. They also hold the speed records week every autumn here and it is where Donald Campbell broke the water speed record in 1955, and was killed attempting to regain it again in 1967. There is a memorial to him on the village green.

Elterwater
Elterwater; Nordic for ‘Lake of the Swans’ is a small but none-the-less beautiful lake sitting at the foot of Great Langdale. The delightful village of Elterwater can be found to the north-west of the Lake and lies beneath the majestic Langdale Peaks. The area around abounds with a plenitude of walks – such as following the Lake down to Skelwith Bridge.

Tarn Hows
This well known beauty spot sits high on the hill towards Coniston but is most notably associated with Beatrix Potter who bought the tarn and sold half to the National Trust and then later bequeathed the rest to the National Trust upon her death. Mostly man made by the Marshall family for power to Coniston Hall and for their local saw mills. Surrounded by a level and well maintained path means it is accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs and makes a delightful walk offering dramatic mountain views and the tarn and surrounding woodland is home to a wealth of wildlife.

Grasmere & Rydal Water
Walk around Grasmere and Rydal Water, a little further north and take in the beauty, the peace and calm – it’s not hard to see where William Wordsworth drew his inspiration from. Grasmere can be walked around in one and a half to two hours and is a relatively easy flatter walk.

Ullswater
Surrounded by mountains and fell side scenery Ullswater is the second largest of the Lakes. The delightful villages of Patterdale and Glenridding sit at the southern end of Ullswater and are dominated by the Helvellyn range. At 950 metres Helvellyn is the Lake District and England’s third highest peak. At the northern end is the village of Pooley Bridge and from here (or Glenridding ) you can board one of Ullswater ‘Steamers’ offering the perfect options for touring the Lake - should you wish you can alight at Howtown on the Eastern side of the lake where you can walk to either end with varying degrees of challenges but equally stunning views of the lake and mountains, or past secluded bays and wooded shorelines and beautiful waterfalls. Wordsworth was a frequent visitor to Ullswater and wrote several poems about Aira Force. It was at Glencoyne Bay, Ullswater where he and Dorothy saw daffodils on the waters edge, it is thought that this was the inspiration for William Wordsworth’s most famous poem ‘Daffodils’.

Brothers Water
A large tarn at the foot of Kirkstone Pass was known as Broad Water, it was renamed after the unfortunate demise of two brothers on two separate occasions, when they drowned in the tarn in the early 19th century.

Haweswater
When touring the Lake District Haweswater is the most easterly of all the lakes. Haweswater is actually a reservoir for Manchester and beneath it was the village of Mardale – when there has been limited rain you can walk the old streets of the village. It is a wildlife paradise for nature lovers and Haweswater was the only place in England where Golden Eagles nested.

Derwent Water
Further north is Derwent Water, the town of Keswick sits at the northern tip of the Lake. Take a short 10 minute stroll to Friars Crag and enjoy the most spectacular view. Or enjoy the scenery on the lake on-board the Keswick launch or hire a rowing boat or motor boat.

Bassenthwaite Lake
The only ‘true’ lake in the Lake District is Bassenthwaite, located next to Derwent Water and the most northerly of all the lakes, ideal for combining a tour to Derwent Water. A popular lake for Sailing boats and is home to Bassenthwaite Sailing Club. The best place to view the lake is from surprise view, which really speaks for its self.

Buttermere
Buttermere is situated at the foot of Honister Pass from Borrowdale in the north of the Lake District and is separated from Crummock Water by a small strip of meadowland. This area offers some great walks with a delightful footpath running around the perimeter of the lake or for a little more of a challenge you could climb to the summit of Haystacks.

Crummock Water
Situated between Loweswater and Buttermere, the lake is owned by the National Trust and is fed by Scale Force – the highest waterfall in the Lake District, so a must see if touring over to the western Lake District.

Loweswater
Also owned by the National Trust, this small but non-the-less picturesque lake is just over a mile in length and has a backdrop of beautiful undulating hills, there is a great lakeside path which takes walkers on a circuit right around the lake – watch out for the red squirrels! Rowing boats can also be hired the perfect way to while away and afternoon.

Ennerdale Water
Ennerdale Water is the most westerly of the Lake District lakes. It is picturesque at the southern end near Riding Wood and has good trout fishing, both rainbow and brown. Fly fishing is open all year round and pike fishing is the most productive fishing in the winter months.