Lake District
The Lake District is a mountainous area of northwestern England, located in Cumberland, Lancashire and Westmorland, noted for its large number of lakes and its outstanding natural beauty, one of the 14 National Parks in the United Kingdom. The Lake District is also an important cultural landscape, having inspired writers as diverse as the 'Lake Poets' (William Wordsworth, Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge), and the author Beatrix Potter.
The main bodies of water in the Lake District include:
- Bassenthwaite Lake
- Buttermere
- Coniston Water
- Crummock Water
- Derwent Water
- Devoke Water
- Ennerdale Water
- Grasmere
- Haweswater Reservoir
- Hayeswater
- Loweswater
- Rydal Water
- Thirlmere
- Ullswater
- Wast Water
- Windermere
The area is also somewhat mountainous by British standards, with several "fells" or "pikes" as they're colloquially known, including (in order of height):
- Scafell Pike, 978 m / 3210Â ft (England's highest point)
- Scafell, 965 m / 3162Â ft
- Helvellyn, 951 m / 3118Â ft
- Skiddaw, 931 m / 3054Â ft
- Great End, 910 m / 2986Â ft
- Bowfell, 902 m / 2960Â ft
- Great Gable, 899 m / 2949Â ft
- Pillar, 892 m / 2926Â ft
- Nethermost Pike, 891 m / 2923Â ft
- Catstycam, 889 m / 2917Â ft
- Esk Pike, 885 m / 2903Â ft
- Raise (Lake District), 883 m / 2896Â ft
- Fairfield, 873 m / 2863Â ft
- Blencathra, 868 m / 2847Â ft
- Skiddaw Little Man, 865 m / 2837Â ft
- White Side, 863 m / 2831Â ft
- Crinkle Crags, 859 m / 2818Â ft
- Dollywaggon Pike, 858 m / 2815Â ft
- Great Dodd, 857 m / 2807Â ft
- Grasmoor, 852 m / 2795Â ft
- Stybarrow Dodd, 843 m / 2772Â ft
- St Sunday Crag, 841 m / 2759Â ft
- Scoat Fell, 841 m / 2759Â ft
- Crag Hill, 839 m / 2753Â ft
- High Street, 828 m / 2717Â ft
Due to the beautiful scenery, the Lake District is a popular tourist destination, particularly for walkers or climbers. However, some fear that the tourist industry is having a negative impact on the area, causing picturesque villages to become tacky to cater to tourists. There is also concern about a decreasing amount of homes available for locals, as it is popular to buy a second home in the area for holidays.