The Lake District

The Lake District is a mountainous region in the northwest of England, more specifically, in the Cumbrian Mountains. It is a region filled with rugged fells, valleys, lakes and tarns, all of which are inspiring for literature. Some lakes of the area are Bassenwaithe Lake, Ullswater, Butermere, and even the largest lake in England: Windermere. Overall, the Lake District has about 14 lakes and tarns formed by glaciers.

There are many attractions in the Lake District. Since the 19th century, passenger boats have been taking visitors up and down Lake Windermere. The best way to explore is on foot so that you can fully admire the scenery. In the summer, you may enjoy many water sports such as kayaking whereas in the winter you can skate on the ice. In the spring, climbers and walkers may even need an ice axe. The wildlife of the Lake District is very rich, including red squirrels, bats, and red deer. However, not only animals and nature are there to captivate your attention, but historical monuments as well. You can find stone circles, and Roman roads and forts. All this is preserved in a region isolated by peat bogs, lakes, and forests.

Contributing to the fame of the Lake District are Romantic poets of the 19th century, such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey. These poets even made the Lake District their home and are known as the Lake Poets. William Wordsworth lived by the lake Grassmere, where he wrote poems as well as in the mountains. He, along with the other Romantic poets, loved nature and celebrated the beauty of it. The “Romantic Movement” increased interest in traveling. Sketching and landscape painting of that era characterized the Victorian Age of the 19th century.