Loweswater

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Loweswater
Loweswater.jpg
View from the north side of the lake across to Holme Wood
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Loweswater
Location relief map United Kingdom Allerdale.svg
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Loweswater
Location in Allerdale, Cumbria
Location Lake District, Cumbria
Coordinates 54°34′57″N3°21′19″W / 54.58250°N 3.35528°W / 54.58250; -3.35528
Basin  countriesUnited Kingdom
Max. length1.8 km (1.1 mi) [1]
Max. width550 m (0.34 mi) [1]
Surface area60 ha (150 acres) [1]
Average depth8.4 m (28 ft) [1]
Max. depth16 m (52 ft) [1]
Water volume5.4×10^6 m3 (4,400 acre⋅ft) [1]
Residence time 150 days [1]
References [1]

Loweswater is one of the smaller lakes in the English Lake District. The village of Loweswater is situated to the east of the lake.

Contents

Geography

The lake is not far from Cockermouth and is also easily reached from elsewhere in West Cumbria. The group of fells to the south of Loweswater is known as the Loweswater Fells and consists of Mellbreak, Gavel Fell, Blake Fell, Hen Comb and Burnbank Fell. To the north of the lake lies the Fellbarrow range.

The lake is unusual in the radial drainage pattern of the Lake District in draining towards the centre of the Lake District: its outfall, Dub Beck, becomes Park Beck and runs east or south-east into the north end of Crummock Water, close to that lake's exit. By way of the River Cocker and River Derwent, Loweswater's contents eventually reach the sea at Workington.

The immediate vicinity of Loweswater consists mainly of rolling hills, in contrast to the rocky mountains found elsewhere in the Lake District (though Mellbreak, part of the Loweswater Fells, is steep and craggy). Loweswater remains relatively untouched by tourism, and is much quieter than the neighbouring lakes, Buttermere and Crummock Water. There is, however, a popular lakeside path, which goes right round the lake. The south side of the lake is the site of Holme Wood, a small forest. Within this forest is Holme Force, a waterfall of great beauty, which is rarely visited as it is not noticeable from the lakeside path. A road follows the north side of the lake, which links the A5086 with the Lorton Vale.

Etymology

"This is usually assumed (e.g. 'PN Cumb' [2] ) to be 'the leafy lake' (ON 'laufsær', preserved in various instances of Swed[ish] 'Lövsjö(n)'), with the explanatory 'wæter'/'water' 'lake' added later" [3]

Sport and leisure

Loweswater is owned by the National Trust. Rowing boats can be rented to use on the lake but use of one's own boat is not allowed. Recently the National Trust has done much work on the north side of the lakeside path, cutting down trees to improve views across the lake.

Every year Loweswater is the venue for the Loweswater show, which features traditional Cumbrian sports and has competitions to win farmers' produce

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake District</span> Mountainous region and national park in North West England

The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region and national park in North West England. It is primarily famous for its mountain, lake, and coastal scenery, and for its literary associations with William Wordsworth and other Lake Poets, Beatrix Potter, and John Ruskin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windermere</span> Largest natural lake in England

Windermere is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the largest Scottish lochs and Northern Irish loughs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buttermere</span> Lake in Cumbria, England

Buttermere is a lake in the Lake District in North West England. It has a length of approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) and a maximum width of 0.54 kilometres (0.34 mi), an area of 0.9 square kilometres (0.35 sq mi), a maximum depth of 28.6 metres (94 ft), and a surface elevation of 100.3 metres (329 ft) above sea level. Its primary outflow is Buttermere Dubs, a short stream which connects the lake to Crummock Water. From Crummock Water the River Cocker flows to Cockermouth, where it joins the River Derwent and finally enters the Irish Sea at Workington. The lake is in the unitary authority of Cumberland, and the ceremonial county of Cumbria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grasmoor</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

Grasmoor is a mountain in the north-western part of the Lake District, northern England. It is the highest peak in a group of hills between the villages of Lorton, Braithwaite and Buttermere, and overlooks Crummock Water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Stile</span> Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

High Stile is a mountain in the western part of the Lake District in North West England. It is the eleventh-highest English Marilyn, standing 807 metres (2,648 ft) high, and has a relative height of 362 metres (1,188 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Fell</span>

Blake Fell is a hill in the Western part of the English Lake District. It is the highest point of the Loweswater Fells, an area of low grassy hills with steep sides overlooking the lake of Loweswater. The fell also overlooks the village of Loweswater, from which it can be climbed. An alternative route is from the Cogra Moss reservoir on its western slopes. Because the Loweswater Fells are a separate geographical unit, Blake Fell is a Marilyn. It is located in the Parish of Lamplugh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mellbreak</span>

Mellbreak is a hill in the Western part of the English Lake District. Despite being surrounded on all sides by higher fells, it stands in isolation. It is surrounded on three sides by a "moat" of deep marshy land, and on the east side by the lake of Crummock Water. The fell forms a partnership with the lake, running parallel to it, falling sheer into it, and regularly providing the backdrop for pictures of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crummock Water</span> Lake in Cumbria, England

Crummock Water is a lake in the Lake District in North West England. It is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long, 0.6 miles (0.97 km) wide, 140 feet (43 m) deep, and has an area of 2.5 square kilometres (0.97 sq mi). The lake's primary inflow is Buttermere Dubs, itself the outflow of Buttermere, and its outflow is the River Cocker, which meets the River Derwent at Cockermouth before entering the Irish Sea at Workington. It is in the unitary authority of Cumberland and the ceremonial county of Cumbria. It is in the parish of Buttermere, and its western shore forms part of the western boundary of the parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rannerdale Knotts</span>

Rannerdale Knotts is a fell in the Lake District of Cumbria, England. Rising from the Buttermere valley, it is one of the smaller Cumbrian hills and is overlooked by a number of surrounding fells, such as Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike and, across Crummock Water, Mellbreak and the High Stile ridge. Rannerdale Knotts is said to be the site of a battle between the native Cumbrians and Norsemen and the invading Normans in the late 11th or early 12th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low Fell (Lake District)</span>

Low Fell is a fell in the English Lake District. It overlooks the lake of Loweswater to the south and to the north is bordered by its neighbour Fellbarrow. It is usually climbed from the villages of Loweswater or Thackthwaite. The fell is largely occupied by grassed enclosures, although there are some rocky outcrops near the top. Low Fell has fairly steep slopes to the south and east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Pike (Buttermere)</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

Red Pike is a fell in the High Stile range in the western English Lake District, which separates Ennerdale from the valley of Buttermere and Crummock Water. It is 2,476 ft (755 m) high. The direct ascent of Red Pike from Buttermere is very popular and the ridge walk from Red Pike to Haystacks is regarded as one of the finest in the area, with excellent views of the Scafells, Great Gable and Pillar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiteless Pike</span> Fell in England

Whiteless Pike, 660 metres (2,170 ft) high, is a fell in the north-western English Lake District. It stands immediately east of Crummock Water and forms a pyramid shape when viewed from Rannerdale. In his celebrated guide to the Lakeland fells, A Wainwright called it "the Weisshorn of Buttermere". There are good views of Great Gable and the Scafells from the summit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fellbarrow</span>

Fellbarrow is a low hill in the north west of the English Lake District. It is not far from the town of Cockermouth, near to Loweswater and can most easily be climbed from Low Lorton or Thackthwaite. From the summit there are views across the Lorton valley to Grasmoor and Whiteside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnbank Fell</span>

Burnbank Fell is a small hill in the west of the English Lake District. It is the most westerly of the Loweswater Fells, a group of low grassy hills just south of Loweswater. It is predominantly grassy, with sprawling flanks and a broad ridge connecting it to Blake Fell. It can be climbed from Lamplugh in the west, or from Waterend on the lakeshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whinlatter Pass</span> Mountain pass in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

The Whinlatter Pass is a mountain pass in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is located on the B5292 road linking Braithwaite, to the west of Keswick, with High Lorton to the south of Cockermouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hen Comb</span>

Hen Comb is a fell in the west of the English Lake District. One of the Loweswater Fells it lies to the south of Loweswater lake and Loweswater village. Although of only moderate height, its ascent can be difficult as it is largely surrounded by bogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starling Dodd</span>

Starling Dodd is a fell in the western part of the English Lake District, located between the valleys of Ennerdale and Buttermere, on the ridge between Great Borne to its west and Red Pike to its east. Not visible from Buttermere and rounded in profile, Starling Dodd is a relatively unfrequented top.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Fells</span>

The Western Fells are a part of the Cumbrian Mountains in the Lake District of England. Centred on Great Gable they occupy a triangular area between Buttermere and Wasdale. The Western Fells are characterised by high ridges and an abundance of naked rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loweswater (village)</span> Human settlement in England

Loweswater is a village and civil parish in the county of Cumbria, England.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McNamara, Jane, Table of lake facts, Environment Agency of England and Wales, archived from the original on 28 June 2009, retrieved 13 November 2007
  2. Armstrong, A.M.; et al. (1950–52). The place-names of Cumberland. Cambridge: English Place-Name Society.
  3. Whaley, Diana (2006). A dictionary of Lake District place-names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society. pp. lx, 423 p.224. ISBN   0904889726.