23 Intresting facts about the Lake District - Fact Sheet - Year 3

The Lake District, a gem within England's countryside, is brimming with natural and cultural treasures that make it a unique location in the UK. It boasts not one, but two World Heritage Sites: 'The English Lake District' and 'Frontiers of the Roman Empire', highlighting its global significance. As England's largest National Park, it covers an expansive area of 2,362 km². The district is home to some of England's most superlative natural features, including the highest mountain, Scafell Pike, and the deepest lake, Wastwater, plunging to a depth of 74 meters. Windermere, the largest lake in England at 14.8 km², also graces the landscape.

The Lake District has been a fountain of artistic inspiration, influencing the likes of Ruskin, Wordsworth, and Beatrix Potter with its enchanting scenery. It houses the largest concentration of common land in the UK, amounting to 666 km², and interestingly, of its 16 main 'lakes', only Bassenthwaite Lake is officially designated as a lake, with the rest being 'meres' or 'waters'. The region is also the natural habitat of the Herdwick sheep, an indigenous breed. Historically, it welcomed the first railway in 1847, and today, it contains 16,702 archaeological sites, 29,792 hectares of woodland, and welcomes millions of visitors annually, making it a unique environment both historically and in the present day.