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The remarkable scenery here was sculpted 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. Retreating glaciers dragged debris to the valley floors. These were then naturally dammed at the ends, and melted to form the giant lakes we see today. Not surprisingly, sailing and walking account for the top two pastimes in the region and there're plenty of places to do both.
The Lake District National Park itself, despite containing England's highest mountains, biggest lakes and the largest park in England, is only 34 miles across. It is a natural habitat to a diverse range of native wildlife and native plants alike. There is enough here to fill weeks of anyone's time. The wonderful natural colour that are a landscape of dreams leave you relising why so many artists have retreated here to work in there time.
A respectable portfolio of man-made attractions exist where geography permits, ranging from Neolithic stone circles to grand Elizabethan mansions. However, although spectacular, they will always be outweighed by their awe-inspiring natural backdrops.
Many local place names take their epithets from Old Norse and are uncommon in other parts of Britain. A few terms likely to come in handy are: fell (mountain), mere (lake), tarn (mountain pool), gill/beck (stream), force (waterfall) and corrie (a large hollow in a mountain side).
Government information site about The Lake District
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