Windermere is the largest natural lake in England, located entirely within the Lake District National Park. It has been one of the most popular holiday and summer cottage locations in the country since 1847.
Geography
Windermere is 10 miles long and stretches from Newby Bridge to Ambleside. The width varies from 400 to 1500 meters. The lake covers an area of 14.7 square kilometers and has a maximum depth of 65 meters. The lake is 130 meters above sea level.
The lake gets its water from the Brathay, Rothay, Troutbeck and Cunsey Beck rivers, and many small streams.
There are two lakeside towns: Ambleside and Bowness-on-Windermere. Despite its name, the town of Windermere is not adjacent to the lake, but is a 15-minute walk away.
The lake was originally known as Winandermere, but a railway company took this name too long and called the station by the lake Windermere. This name was later also given to the lake itself and the city.
The lake is largely surrounded by hills of the Lake District.
Lake Windermere is a so-called ribbon lake, which is long thin and finger-like. These types of lakes were created thousands of years ago during the Ice Age through glaciers and erosion.
The lake is home to many fish and other aquatic animals. In winter, the lake is much affected by geese that migrate south.
Local government
Before 1974, Windermere was entirely located in the Westmorland area. But since its reorganization in 1974, Windermere and its coasts have fallen entirely into Cumbria and the South Lakeland district.
Monsters?
Like many great lakes around the world, Windermere stories tell the story of strange fish or unnatural animals (monsters) that would live there. For example, a great eel-like creature would have been regularly seen.
Trivis
On June 13, 1930, Henry Segrave died in an accident here after setting a new world speed record on water the same day.