Northern Lakes, Cumbria, England

Ullswater, Grassmere and Buttermere are the lakes here, with Helvellyn being the main peak

ullswater buttermere grassmere

Grassmere was, of course, the home of William Wordsworth. For many years he lived at Dove Cottage (now a museum containing Wordsworth memorabilia) and Rydal Mount (also open to the public). The poet is buried in St Oswald churchyard.

dove cottage

William Wordsworth

rydal mount

Ullswater is 7 miles long, but does not have as many towns and villages as Windermere, and the road only runs along one side of the lake. The are steamer trips from various piers along the lake, and numerous lake walks.

sheep walks, walking the fells

Helvellyn, 3118 feet high, can be climbed from here by any fully equipped and hardened walker. However you do need a head for heights on the one mile long ridge of Striding Edge. From the summit, on a clear day the view is breath-taking. The Pennines to the east, the mountains of Scotland to the north west and just about every fell in the Lake District can be seen

climbing

Buttermere is a beautiful valley hemmed in by high mountains. There are lots of good walks, for example to the remote valley of Rannerdale, to Scale Force a 100 foot high waterfall or to Crummock Water a beautiful lake

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