The Lake District
The Lake District is located in Cumbria on the northwest coast of England about an hour from the Scottish border. The Lake District is to Northern England what Cornwall is to the south and I can’t figure out which one I enjoyed more. They’re both so beautiful, I don’t think I could ever pick one. The Lakes are a result of the last Ice Age. Glaciers receded from here and cut the U shaped valleys that are now filled with water. The Lake District is one of the most visited national parks in England. We drove up on a Sunday and the highways were packed with people going down south after a nice relaxing weekend at the lakes. Judging from the traffic it is easy to believe that this place fills up with people and going there clearly shows you why.
My friends and I drove up from Lancaster and spent the driving from lake to lake and enjoying the tremendous scenery. Starting up north at Ullswater we made our way south to Windermere. The further south we went, the busier it got. I enjoyed the northern lakes more because of this. Ullswater is located in a rugged area and surrounded by mountains, hiking trails, and sheep farms. It was very reminiscent of New Zealand and looked a lot like Milford Sound but without all the ice. Ullswater may be the second largest lake in the district but it’s one of the quietest. Pooley Bridge village is located at the northern end of the lake and is famous for the little stone bridge that crosses a river that flows out of the lake. The bridge was nothing special but the river is shallow enough to walk across and, despite its cold temperature, had many kids playing in it. Driving south, we passed mountain after mountain and farm after farm. There’s a lot of sheep in this area and yet another reason why the place makes me think of New Zealand.
We drove through the Kirkstone Pass which provides stunning views of the whole area and a few of the lakes. Little streams trickle down hill and there are a number of swimming holes here. However, once you pass through, you reach the southern part of the district and the more heavily touristed area. Coming out of the pass, houses started to spring up all around, more cars were on the road, and people seemed everywhere. When we pulled into Windermere, we hit traffic and crowds and I longed for the serenity of the northern lakes. We didn’t even stop in Windermere because after driving around for twenty minutes, we realized we just couldn’t find parking. I wasn’t too bothered- I like avoiding crowds. Interesting fact about Windemere though: the home of Beatrix Potter, who wrote the Peter Rabbit books, is located here.
Not only is the Lake District amazing, but all of surrounding area is too. My friends lived in Lancaster, which was equally beautiful. It’s a populated version of the Lake District but still with all the charm. I woke up to this each morning:
Ancient stone walls sectioned off vast numbers of sheep, green hills rolled on forever in all directions, and tiny English stone cottages dotted the landscape. This whole area had an “English country” feel that I’ve yet to see elsewhere and coming here definitely took me back a few centuries. The whole area is so well preserved and so perfect, you often wonder if the locals got together and decided to rebuild everything like it was in the 1700s for the tourists. Luckily, that is not the case. People here have just maintained these ancient houses out of their own free will. The house I stayed in was over 500 years old.
Out of all the time I’ve spent here in England, my weekend in Lancaster and the Lake District felt the most English. The cottages, the sheep, the hills, and the Sunday venison roast caught by a man who wore this:
You can’t get more English than that! I was very impressed by Lancaster and the Lake District and look forward to a return trip.
I’ve always wanted to do a walking tour of the Lake District…hike from town to town through stunning scenery.
Matt these photos are fantastic. And your writing descriptions really took me there….
Looks beautiful. And I have to agree with Dawn, great descriptions!
Matt, it is amazing to see all the places you have visited so far in England. You are presenting a broader view of what there is to see and visit in that beautiful country.
I wish I was there with a fishing rod and reel. Great photos,
Agreed with you Antonini!!! And awesome pics!
@theresa: just another reason for you to go to visit!
@dawn: thank you for such nice words.
@everyone else: thanks for the compliments about the photos. no one has commented on the english guy though….what do you think? very english huh?
I can imagine wordsworth sitting there and writing his poetry… lovely
Matt! so this is indeed my first comment on your blogs and travels, and I know i’m not the first to say this, but what you do is great! these photos are awesome……. if I could do half of what you have done i’ll be satisified xD
and yes, i do believe you can’t get much more english than that
I’m very glad I stumbled upon your website!!! keep it up
zac
i like d lake pictures.. so amazed of the beauty of nature..
Last holy week my frens & i cilmbed Mt. Apo d Philippines highest mountain..that was d time i began to appreaciate the world & its creation..
happy life
@zac: thanks for being a reader!
@badz: yes life is good!
Hey matt, love your pics, and your description!!! Makes me realise even more how lucky we are to live here! Was good to see you, stay in touch and enjoy your travels…am jealous!! Toni x
@ toni: toni!!! it was great seeing you and mike too! lots of fun. we’ll have to do it again!
Great pictures of the Lake District. I was there last autumn and the colours in October are really spectacular. You might like a quick look at some of my Lake District shots - I was so stunned by Kirkstone Pass that I had to stop driving for about an hour just to enjoy the views.