Derwentwater

About

Derwentwater, or Derwent Water, is a lake in the Lake District in North West England, immediately south of Keswick.

Derwentwater is in the unitary authority of Cumberland and is the third largest lake by area in the region, after Windermere and Ullswater. It has a length of 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi), a maximum width of 1.91 kilometres (1.19 mi), and an area of 5.4 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi). Its primary inflow and outflow is the River Derwent, which also flows through Bassenthwaite Lake before reaching the Irish Sea at Workington.

There are four main islands within the lake :- Derwent Island, Lord's Island, Rampsholme Island, and St Herbert's Island all of which are owned and managed by the National Trust and one of which is inhabited.

Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being Keswick, Portinscale and the Lodore Falls, from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and there is an extensive network of footpaths in the hills and woods surrounding the lake.

The Keswick to Borrowdale road runs along the eastern shore of the lake and carries a regular bus service. There is a lesser, or unclassified, road along the western shore connecting the villages of Grange and Portinscale.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.