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82-591: The Furness Fells are a multitude of hills and mountains in the Furness region of Cumbria , England . Historically part of Lancashire , the Furness Fells or High Furness is the name given to the upland part of Furness, that is, that part of Furness lying north of the line between Ulverston and Ireleth . The hills lie largely within the English Lake District . The term Furness Fells

164-464: A boat is not essential), with premises located in Bowness the club house has views of the lake and surrounding fells. The LDBC also run a full programme of both social and racing events. The Windermere Cruising Association organises the popular Winter Series. This event benefits from not being hindered by the large waves, caused by gales, that often lead to sea racing being cancelled. The WCA also have

246-407: A full calendar of summer races which are open to all abilities. At the south end of the lake is South Windermere Sailing Club, based at Fell Foot park on the east shore. It was started in 1961 as a family sailing club and has been the starting point for many successful British dinghy racing competitors including British, European and world champions. The notoriously fluky wind on the lake has proved

328-417: A growth of ling), Hawes Holme, Hen Holme (also rocky and sometimes known as chair and Table Island from some old flags or slabs of stone that were formerly found there), Maiden Holme (the smallest island, with just one tree), Ramp Holme (variously called Roger Holme and Berkshire Island at different times in its history), Rough Holme, Snake Holme, Thompson Holme (the second largest), Silver Holme. Before 1974,

410-466: A hill in The Prelude , Book IV: Standing alone, as from a rampart’s edge, I overlooked the bed of Windermere, Like a vast river, stretching in the sun. With exultation, at my feet I saw Lake, islands, promontories, gleaming bays, A universe of Nature’s fairest forms Proudly revealed with instantaneous burst, Magnificent, and beautiful, and gay. Dove's Nest, at the foot of Wansfell ,

492-681: A major part of the local economy, but today only the Burlington Slate Quarries at Kirkby remain of note. The A590 is the main road into the region from the M6 Motorway . The A595 is the main route up the western coast of Furness, and the A593/A5084 run north-south from Low Furness to High Furness. The Furness Line provides railway connections to the West Coast Mainline through the south of Furness, and

574-411: A maximum of 1 mile (1.6 km), and covers an area of 14.73 km (5.69 sq mi). With a maximum depth of 66.7 m (219 ft) and an elevation above sea level of 39 m (128 ft), the lowest point of the lake bed is well below sea level. There is only one town or village directly on the lakeshore, Bowness-on-Windermere , as the village of Windermere does not directly touch

656-642: A rising. After a fight at Hawcoat the resistance was quashed, and the Parliament ships left for Liverpool. After collecting the king's rents, the Royalists left for Cartmel. After the Restoration of the monarchy, one Furness landowner, Colonel Sawry, attempted a rising. Iron had been mined in Furness since prehistory, and by the late 18th century ore was being exported from Barrow. The Furness Railway

738-458: A small village to a large town during the 19th century, is characterized by a grid pattern of streets of terraced houses , surrounded by more contemporary suburbs. Though the Port of Barrow still contains much industry, there has also been significant redevelopment of former dock areas into retail parks, office blocks and spaces of light industry. The other major town in the area is Ulverston , at

820-476: A successful training ground in learning to read the fast-changing wind. SWSC celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011 and has developed a strong junior section under the coaching of Julie Tomkinson who in 2011 was honoured with an RYA Community Award for Outstanding Contribution. In 2015 Lakeland Rowing club set up a base at Fell Foot Park. The club grew quickly and has now separated from the Northern section of

902-501: A vehicle-carrying cable ferry , runs across the lake from Ferry Nab on the eastern side of the lake to Far Sawrey on the western side of the lake. This service forms part of the B5285 . There are also two summer only passenger ferries that cross the lake. One crosses from Lakeside station to Fell Foot Park at the southern end of the lake, whilst the other links Bowness with Far Sawrey. There are five large boating clubs based around

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984-559: Is a hub for train and bus connections to the surrounding areas and is 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (2 km) from the Waterbus jetty. There is a regular train service to Oxenholme on the West Coast Main Line, where there are fast trains to Edinburgh , Glasgow , Manchester Airport , Birmingham and London . The lake contains eighteen islands. By far the largest is the privately owned Belle Isle opposite Bowness . It

1066-576: Is a significant loss of altitude before the Dunnerdale Fells, which therefore while forming part of the Furness Fells may be said to be distinct from the Coniston Fells. This Cumbria location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Furness Furness ( / ˈ f ɜːr n ɪ s , f ɜːr ˈ n ɛ s / FUR -niss, fur- NESS ) is a peninsula and region of Cumbria , England. Together with

1148-598: Is also sometimes used as a synonym with Coniston Fells , perhaps partly as a result of the placing of the words "Furness Fells" on some Ordnance Survey 1:250 000 maps. The Coniston Fells properly form only part of the Furness Fells, albeit with all the highest mountains; other fells in Furness are of lower altitude. The Coniston Fells form part of the Southern Fells of the Lake District as defined by Alfred Wainwright . The Coniston Fells are separated from

1230-470: Is around a kilometre in length, and 16 hectares (40 acres). Its older name was Lang Holme, and 800 years ago it was the centre of the manor of Windermere and later, in effect, of a moiety of the barony of Kendal . The other islands or "holmes" are considerably smaller. The word "holme" or "holm" means small island or islet and comes from Old Norse holmr (as in Stockholm ). The island of Lady Holme

1312-467: Is named after the chantry that formerly stood there and in former centuries was sometimes called St Mary Holme or just Mary Holme. The remaining islands are Bee Holme (the insular status of which depends on the water level), Blake Holme, Crow Holme, Birk or Birch Holme (called Fir Holme on Ordnance Survey maps), Grass Holme, Lilies of the Valley (East, and West), Ling Holme (a rocky hump with a few trees and

1394-499: Is that it refers to a "Continental Germanic personal noun, 'Wīnand'...Since this name could not have been current until the 12th century, the fact that the Old Norse genitive singular '-ar-' has been added to it, it would suggest that Old Norse was still a living language in the area at that time." Alternative spellings may be 'Wynhendermere' and 'Wynenderme' The second element is Old English ' mere ', meaning ' lake ' or 'pool'. It

1476-663: Is the highest range, the Coniston Fells, with the Coniston Old Man (803 m) as its highest point (and historically the highest point in Lancashire). A lesser range extends from Torver to just north of Dalton, but south of that the landscape is flat; this area is also called Plain Furness. The low rolling hills of Low Furness are formed of glacial deposits, mainly boulder clay, above Triassic sandstone and Carboniferous limestone. There are large deposits of iron ore here, of very pure quality. The human geography of

1558-735: The Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency, while eastern High Furness is in Westmorland and Lonsdale . 54°16′12″N 3°05′19″W  /  54.27004°N 3.08853°W  / 54.27004; -3.08853 Windermere Windermere or Lake Windermere is a ribbon lake in Cumbria , England, and part of the Lake District . It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than

1640-481: The Cartmel Peninsula it forms North Lonsdale , historically an exclave of Lancashire . On 1 April 2023 it became part of the new unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness . The Furness Peninsula , also known as Low Furness, is an area of villages, agricultural land and low-lying moorland , with the industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness at its head. The peninsula is bordered by the estuaries of

1722-532: The Cumbria Coast Line is a slow rural branch line with services running north to Copeland and Carlisle . The Windermere Ferry in the east of Furness is England's only vehicular lake ferry. Furness seems to have been scantly populated in ancient times. A handful of Brittonic placenames survive around Barrow, suggesting this part was settled earliest. Anglo-Saxons arrived in Low Furness in

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1804-634: The Duddon Valley , or from Wrynose Pass. Seathwaite Tarn above the Duddon is the third-largest tarn in the Lake District; Levers Water, Low Water, Goat's Water and Blind Tarn are also located in the Coniston Fells group. These summits all have more than 30 metres of relative height (a commonly used criterion for being a separate summit). Alfred Wainwright included three more tops: Great Carrs , Brim Fell and Walna Scar , and included mention of White Maiden and White Pike. South of White Pike there

1886-482: The Esk , the Duddon, and Morecambe Bay. The higher ground is rocky heathland, with frequent tarns , while the lower ground supports pasture and woodland. In the east there are two main chains of hills: one overlooking Windermere, with Latterbarrow (245 m) as its highest point, and the other, which reaches 300 m, overlooking Coniston Water. Between them is flat country and Esthwaite Water . West of Coniston Water

1968-661: The River Duddon to the west and the River Leven in Morecambe Bay to the east. The wider region of Furness consists of the peninsula and the area known as High Furness , which is a relatively mountainous and sparsely populated part of England, extending inland into the Lake District and containing the Furness Fells . The inland boundary of the region is formed by the rivers Leven, Brathay and Duddon, and

2050-511: The Scafell and Bowfell massif to their north by Wrynose Pass , and are surrounded on all other sides by lower ground. Coniston Old Man , the highest summit in the group, is the farthest south 2000-foot summit in the Lake District (using a 30-metre relative height criterion to determine what a summit is). The tops of the Coniston Fells may be climbed from many points, including the village of Coniston at their base, or from Seathwaite in

2132-659: The historic county of Lancashire, which bordered Cumberland to the northwest and Westmorland to the northeast (the point where the three counties met is marked by the Three Shire Stone at the head of the Duddon). North Lonsdale is also called "Lancashire North of the Sands". In 1974, North Lonsdale – along with Cumberland, Westmorland, and part of the West Riding of Yorkshire (around Sedbergh ) – became part of

2214-409: The largest Scottish lochs and Northern Irish loughs . The lake is about 11 miles (18 km) in length and 1 mile (1.6 km) at its widest, has a maximum depth of 64 metres (210 ft), and has an elevation of 39 metres (128 ft) above sea level. Its outflow is the River Leven , which drains into Morecambe Bay . The lake is in the administrative council area of Westmorland and Furness and

2296-682: The 17th in the Inspector Lynley series. Some people believe that there may be a lake monster , similar to the one alleged to live in Loch Ness , and in 2011 anomalous photos were taken of the supposed creature; it has been affectionately nicknamed "Bownessie". In 2017, some scenes from the 2018 live action film Peter Rabbit were filmed in Windermere and Ambleside, with the Peter Rabbit heritage being strongly linked to

2378-524: The 1950s. For many years, powerboating and water-skiing have been popular activities on the lake. In March 2000, the Lake District National Park Authority controversially introduced a bylaw setting a 10- knot (12 mph; 19 km/h) speed limit for all powered craft on the lake, in addition to three existing 6-knot (7 mph; 11 km/h) speed limits for all craft on the upper, lower, and middle sections of

2460-499: The 7th century, but do not seem to have spread to High Furness, which remained almost empty until it was populated by incoming Scandinavians in the 10th century. It has been suggested that they had a small mountain kingdom there, centred on Coniston (which means "king's town"). The prevalence of names with the element "thwaite" in High Furness (from Norse thveit , "clearing"), and the absence thereof in Low Furness, suggests that

2542-455: The MV Swan of 1938. The fourth, MV Swift of 1900, which was converted from steam to diesel in 1956, was broken up at Lakeside in 1998. Her rudder and only one propeller are displayed at Bowness. Although often described as steamers , all are now diesel motor vessels. Tern and Swift were built with steam engines, but converted to diesel power in the 1950s. The Windermere Ferry ,

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2624-485: The Martyrs , involve school holiday adventures in the 1930s around a fictional lake derived from a combination of Windermere and Coniston Water . The fictional lake resembles Windermere, but the surrounding hills and fells resemble those of Coniston Water. The BBC made a television series Swallows and Amazons in 1962; parts of this were filmed at the boathouse of Huyton Hill Preparatory School (now Pullwood House) on

2706-718: The Royal Navy's first submarines built there. During the wars this allowed Furness to escape many of the economic problems that other areas suffered, due to the constant work provided by the military. After World War II demand for ships and submarines remained high, while the development of the Lake District National Park further fostered tourism. Attractions such as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway , steamers on Windermere and Coniston Water, and fell walking, caused parts of Furness to become dependent on

2788-493: The abbots of Furness to defend the market town of Dalton and the port of Barrow respectively. The area had been raided by Scots in 1316 and again in 1322, though in the latter year the abbot paid Robert the Bruce a ransom to stop his men harrying Low Furness. The pretender Lambert Simnel landed with his army at Piel Island in 1487. A few locals joined him, including Sir Thomas Broughton of Broughton Tower, who would be killed at

2870-495: The area is dominated by the town of Barrow-in-Furness . Barrow is located on the tip of the peninsula and Walney Island , and the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness , which includes the small town of Dalton-in-Furness and the town of Millom (the latter of which, although statistically in "Furness" for this purpose, is not actually part of the defined geographic area known as Furness) has a population of 69,100. Barrow, which grew from

2952-403: The area, who referred to it as Windermere/Winandermere Water, or (in their dialect) Windermer Watter. The name Windermere or Windermer was used of the parish that had clearly taken its name from the water. The poet Norman Nicholson comments on the use of the phrase 'Lake Windermere': "a certain excuse for the tautology can be made in the case of Windermere, since we need to differentiate between

3034-500: The border of Low and High Furness, and the population of Ulverston and its surrounding villages is 17,307. The corridor along the main A590 road between Ulverston and Barrow is relatively densely populated and urban. Despite decline, industry remains a bigger employer in this part of Furness than most of the UK, with BAE Systems , Kimberly-Clark (both Barrow) and GlaxoSmithKline (Ulverston)

3116-584: The club (based at Derwent water) and has taken the name Windermere Rowing Club. The club is small in comparison to the more established clubs in the country but is continually growing with the number of both members and boats constantly increasing. The Ferry House Regatta was the subject of a painting by Thomas Allom and in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837 this was illustrated in the poem [REDACTED] Regatta.—Windermere Lake . by Letitia Elizabeth Landon . On Friday 13 June 1930, Sir Henry Segrave broke

3198-524: The disastrous Battle of Stoke Field . The abbey was closed in 1536 after the monks lent their support to the Pilgrimage of Grace , and the abbot's lands were seized by the crown, becoming part of the royal duchy of Lancaster . Later they were granted to the dukes of Buccleuch and Devonshire . In May 1643, Furness was occupied and plundered by a large Royalist force commanded by Richard Viscount Molyneux . Later that year they prepared to march to

3280-508: The district of South Lakeland in the non-metropolitan county of Cumbria . Since April 2023, Cumbria no longer exists for administrative purposes and the lake falls entirely within Westmorland and Furness administrative area. Most planning matters concerned with the lake are, however, the responsibility of the Lake District National Park Authority. Passenger services operate along the whole length of

3362-453: The early work on lake ecology , freshwater biology and limnology was conducted here. The word 'Windermere' is thought to translate as "'Winand or Vinand's lake'... The specific has usually been identified with an Old Swedish personal name 'Vinandr', genitive singular 'Vinandar'"... although "the personal noun is of very restricted distribution even in Sweden." Another possibility

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3444-572: The former Furness Railway , who built the Lakeside branch, and were at one time operated by British Rail , the former state-owned rail operator. Since privatisation, three of the original large railway boats are operated by Windermere Lake Cruises Ltd , along with a fleet of smaller and more modern launches. Three of the original four boats survive: the MV Tern of 1891, the MV Teal of 1936, and

3526-425: The geology. This consists of hard volcanic rocks in the north basin and softer shales in the south. The lake is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven . It is replenished by the rivers Brathay , Rothay , Trout Beck , Cunsey Beck and several other lesser streams. The lake is largely surrounded by foothills of the Lake District which provide pleasant low-level walks; to the north and northeast are

3608-523: The headland immediately opposite (where Rampside is), before being extended to the entire region. Alternatively it could be Walney Island : though it little resembles a rump today, erosion could have altered its shape over time. Furness's border follows the River Duddon up to Wrynose Pass , and then the Brathay until it flows into Windermere . The mere forms most of the eastern boundary, with

3690-549: The help of Leonard G. Montefiore . This refugee rescue was dramatised as The Windermere Children broadcast on the BBC in 2020 for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Legends of female centaurs in Windermere served as the basis for Archie Fisher's 1976 song The Witch of the West-Mer-Lands , which was later covered by Stan Rogers . Fisher cites "tales of antlered women with bodies of deer seen wading in

3772-527: The higher fells of central Lakeland. There is debate as to whether the stretch of water between Newby Bridge and Lakeside at the southern end of the lake should be considered part of Windermere, or a navigable stretch of the River Leven. This affects the stated length of the lake, which is 11.23 miles (18.07 km) long if measured from the bridge at Newby Bridge, or 10.5 miles (16.9 km) if measured from Lakeside . The lake varies in width up to

3854-461: The historic county of Westmorland , with the lake forming part of the boundary between the historic counties of Westmorland and Lancashire . It has been one of the country's most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway 's branch line in 1847. The Freshwater Biological Association was established on the shore of Windermere in 1929 and much of

3936-695: The history of racing boats. The museum was closed in 2006 for refurbishment and re-opened, considerably enlarged, in March, 2019 as the Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories . The long popularity of steam launches on Windermere has even given its name to the Windermere kettle , a steam-powered tea urn. In 2005, the Windermere Management Strategy identified the potential for water bus services on

4018-510: The inaugural Great North Swim , a one-mile (1.6 km) open water swim involving 2,200 swimmers. The second annual swim took place on 12 and 13 September 2009, with 6,000 swimmers, making this the largest open water swim in the UK. The 40-mile (64 km) Three Lakes Challenge (or Loch, Lake, Llyn) is a challenge first completed by a 5-person relay with Sam Plum, Jason Betley, Helen Gibbs, Helen Liddle, and Debbie Taylor on 3–4 July 2015 under English Channel rules. The course involves swimming

4100-404: The lake and the centre of Ambleside is one mile (1.6 km) to the north of Waterhead. The village of Windermere is about 20 minutes' walk from Millerground, the nearest point on the lakeshore. It did not exist before the arrival of the railway in 1847. The station was built in an area of open fell and farmland in the township of Applethwaite. The nearest farm was Birthwaite, which gave its name to

4182-495: The lake and the town, though it would be better to speak of 'Windermere Lake' and Windermere Town', but no one can excuse such ridiculous clumsiness as 'Lake Derwentwater ' and 'Lake Ullswater ." The extensive parish included most of Undermilbeck (that is, excepting Winster and the part of Crook chapelry that lay west of the Gilpin, which were part of Kirkby Kendal parish), Applethwaite, Troutbeck and Ambleside-below-Stock, that is,

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4264-463: The lake for 246 days in 2022. In 2024, United Utilities was fighting in court to keep secret its data on the treated sewage it discharges into Windermere, claiming first that it “was not environmental information” and then that it was “internal communication” and therefore not subject to disclosure. William Wordsworth , one of the Lake Poets , described the view of Windermere from the crest of

4346-556: The lake lay wholly within the county of Westmorland ; however, the historic county boundary between Lancashire and Westmorland runs down the western shore of the lake and also along about three miles (5 km) of the southern section of the eastern shore. Anyone crossing the lake from east to west on the Windermere Ferry thus travels from the historic county of Westmorland to that of Lancashire. Local government reorganisation in 1974 placed Windermere and its shores within

4428-399: The lake of Windermere . Off the southern tip of Furness is Walney Island , 11 miles (18 kilometres) long, as well as several smaller islands . The Borough of Barrow-in-Furness , which developed when the Furness iron industry flourished in the 19th century, is the region's largest settlement, with a population of over 91,000. The remainder of Furness is predominantly rural, with Ulverston

4510-413: The lake, from Lakeside railway station , on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite heritage steam railway at the southern end of the lake, to Waterhead Bay near Ambleside in the north. Intermediate stops are made at Bowness and, by smaller launches only, at Brockhole. Some boats only operate part of the route, or operate out and back cruises, whilst others run the whole distance. These services date back to

4592-592: The lake. In July 2022, the Love Windermere partnership was created to tackle challenges in the lake. Nutrients, climate change, more extreme weather patterns and the seasonal variations of the tourist population are all predicted to put the lake and its water quality under increasing pressure in the coming years. In 2023, it was reported that data from the Environment Agency showed that United Utilities released sewage from storm overflows into

4674-493: The lake. A 26 year old Windermere resident, Zoology Undergraduate Matthew Staniek, made national news by suggesting the lake could become "ecologically dead", with the growth of blue-green algae , and microscopic organisms being incorrectly described as "toxic as cobra venom". However, beyond the resident's speculation, there was little evidence of this being true, with ecologists and subsequent studies showing pollution levels better than suggested, and localized to smaller areas of

4756-465: The lake. In 2009, the Lake District National Park Authority commissioned a detailed study into the demand for such services. In July 2009, it was announced that Windermere Lake Cruises would be operating additional stops around the lake. In January 2012, the Park Authority launched a consultation on further expansion of the water bus service. On Saturday 13 September 2008, Windermere hosted

4838-576: The lake. The bylaw came into force in 2000, but there was a five-year transition period and the new speed limits were only enforced from 29 March 2005. The bylaws on the lake were reviewed and renewed in 2008. Despite the speed limits people continue to use powerboats on the lake, both legally and illegally. Windermere Steamboat Museum is located on Rayrigg Road in Bowness, and included a collection of vintage steam boats dating back to 1850, five sailing boats (the oldest built in 1780), two dugout canoes, as well as information about Swallows and Amazons and

4920-816: The lake: the South Windermere Sailing Club, Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club , the Lake District Boat Club , the Royal Windermere Yacht Club , and the Windermere Cruising Association . The Royal Windermere Yacht Club maintains a set of turning marks on the lake, which are also used by the Windermere Cruising Association. The Lake District Boat Club is a family orientated club open to all (owning

5002-561: The large house, though, Belle Isle plays host to a folly which is used by the Water Witches in the area. In November 2009, several scenes were shot on Windermere for the ITV soap opera Coronation Street , featuring the newlyweds Gail and Joe on their honeymoon. Windermere and the surrounding countryside is the setting for mystery novelist Elizabeth George 's 2012 book Believing the Lie ,

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5084-502: The largest employers. In Barrow and up the west coast of Furness, the Sellafield Nuclear site is also a significant employer. The rest of Furness is rural, with the mountainous, wooded and lacustrine environments. To the west, the main settlements of Kirkby-in-Furness and Broughton-in-Furness are dominated by farming and commuting. The Lake District National Park covers most of High Furness, with Coniston and Hawkshead

5166-574: The latter had already been deforested by the time the Scandinavians arrived. Scandinavians probably formed the majority of the Furness population, and Old Norse remained a living language in the region until at least the late 12th century. Before the Conquest, Furness, assessed to contain 82 ploughlands , was part of the Manor of Hougun , held by Tostig, Earl of Northumbria . By 1086, Furness

5248-854: The length of Loch Awe in Scotland (25 miles; 40 km), then driving to the Lake District and swimming the length of Windermere ( 10 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles; 17 km), and finally driving to Wales and swimming the length of Bala Lake (4 miles; 6 km). This challenge is intended as the swimming equivalent of the National Three Peaks Challenge . In 2021, it was reported that the sewage-treatment plant in Ambleside legally discharged sewage into Windermere for 1,719 hours during 2020 (equivalent to 71 out of 365 days), and that private septic tanks from residential dwellings, holiday homes and caravan sites also released sewage into

5330-402: The main centres for tourism, while major tourist attractions include Grizedale Forest , the Aquarium of the Lakes , South Lakes Safari Zoo and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway . The northern and eastern communities of Furness share more in common with the Lake District towns of Ambleside and Bowness , outside of the region, than with the more urban areas of Low Furness. Mining was once

5412-431: The new administrative county of Cumbria . At the district level, it now consists of the borough of Barrow and part of South Lakeland . From April 2023, Furness will form part of the new unitary council area of Westmorland and Furness , which will replace Cumbria County Council and the districts of Barrow and South Lakeland , all of which will be abolished. Low Furness and the western part of High Furness are in

5494-412: The newer attractions. Transport has become an increasingly controversial issue, with conservation groups and local business clashing over the need for improvements to the A590 trunk road, the main link to the M6 Motorway . Proposals for a road bridge over Morecambe Bay have appeared, but are yet to progress beyond the planning stages. Furness formed the greater part of the North Lonsdale exclave of

5576-489: The northwestern shore. Hollywood film comedian Stan Laurel was a frequent visitor to the lake at Windermere as a child. Born in Ulverston in 1890, his grandmother, uncle and aunt would take him and his cousins on excursions by train into the Lake District , visiting Flookburgh , Sawrey and Windermere. The lake gave its name to a group of 300 Jewish boys, the "Windermere Boys", who survived Auschwitz and settled at Troutbeck Bridge near Windermere in 1945, thanks to

5658-423: The only other settlement with more than 10,000 people. Much of High Furness consists of moorland, mountain or woodland environments. The name, which is first recorded in 1150 as Fuththernessa , is interpreted as "headland by the rump-shaped island," from Old Norse futh (genitive futhar ), meaning rump, and nes , meaning headland. The island in question may be Piel Island , with the name originally referring to

5740-446: The part of Ambleside that lay south of Stock Beck . The parish church was at Bowness in Undermilbeck. Windermere is long and narrow, like many other ribbon lakes , and lies in a steep-sided pre-glacial river valley that has become deepened by successive glaciations. The current lake was formed after the Last Glacial Maximum during the retreat of the British and Irish Ice Sheet some time between 17,000 and 14,700 years ago, just before

5822-440: The relief of Thurland Castle in South Lonsdale, then besieged by Colonel Rigby , but Rigby took some of his men over the sands and met the Royalists at Lindal , where they were routed. The Parliamentarians looted the Dalton neighbourhood before retreating to Cartmel the same night. In 1644 the Royalists remained in control of Furness, though the country folk were hostile to them, and Parliament ships landed at Piel Island to aid in

5904-450: The rest being made up of the Leven , from its source at Windermere's southern tip to its mouth at Morecambe Bay. In total Furness has an area of about 250 square miles (650 square kilometres). The Furness Fells are formed of Ordovician volcanic rocks, and Silurian shales and slates to the south. They are cut through by Windermere, Coniston Water , and numerous valleys which drain into

5986-497: The shallows of the lakes in the moonlight" as the inspiration for his song. "Apparently deer used to swim across the shallow end of Lake Windermere and weeds got caught in their antlers and observers, probably wandering home from a local hostelry, took them to be these mythical creatures." Windermere is a location used in the 1994 fighting game Tekken . Belle Isle features in the fifth book of Joseph Delaney 's Spook's series, The Spooks Mistake ; published in 2008. Rather than

6068-554: The start of the Windermere Interstadial . The lake water was sourced from the meltwater of retreating ice in the catchment, which receded up the Troutbeck valley and up the valleys that now contain the rivers Rothay and Brathay . There were at least nine ice retreat phases, indicated by buried recessional moraines. The lake has two separate basins – north and south – with different characteristics influenced by

6150-484: The station and the village that began to grow up near it. In about 1859, the residents began to call their new village by the name of Windermere, much to the chagrin of the people of Bowness, which had been the centre of the parish of Windermere for many centuries. Since 1907 the two places have been under one council and, although there are still two separate centres, the area between is largely built up, albeit bordering on woodland and open fields. Windermere railway station

6232-511: The tourist trade. In the early 1990s, the decline of shipbuilding led to mass redundancies in the area. The shipyard's employment figures fell from 20,000 to 3,000 in a 20-year period. However, the shipyard at Barrow remains England's busiest and the only nuclear submarine facility in the country. Tourism has increased even more, with the Aquarium of the Lakes and South Lakes Safari Zoo among

6314-544: The world water speed record on Windermere in his boat, Miss England II at an average speed of 158.94 km/h (98.76 mph). On the third run over the course, off Belle Grange, the boat capsized. Segrave's mechanic, Victor Helliwell drowned, but Segrave was rescued by support boats. He died a short time later of his injuries. Segrave was one of the few people in history who have held the world land speed record and water speed record simultaneously. Racer Norman Buckley set several world water speed records on Windermere in

6396-457: Was built in the 19th century to cater to the increasing demand. Iron and steelworks were established at Barrow, and the town's population grew from 325 in 1847 to 51,712 in 1891, surpassing Dalton's and Ulverston's. Mining in Furness reached its peak in 1882, when 1,408,693 tons of ore were won. At the same time, tourism in the Lake District increased, popularised in part by the work of John Ruskin and William Wordsworth . Tourism in High Furness

6478-460: Was in the possession of the crown. In 1127 Prince Stephen founded Furness Abbey , granting the abbot most of the land in Furness and giving the rest to a Fleming named Michael. Henry III later granted the rent due from the lord of Michael's Land (£10 per year) to the abbot of Furness, making him the sole tenant-in-chief , and thus one of the most powerful abbots in the country. In the 14th century Dalton Castle and Piel Castle were built by

6560-420: Was known as "Winander Mere" or "Winandermere" until at least the 19th century. Its name suggests it is a mere , a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, but despite the name this is not the case for Windermere, which in particular has a noticeable thermocline , distinguishing it from typical meres. Until the 19th century, the term "lake" was, indeed, not much used by or known to the native inhabitants of

6642-462: Was promoted by the writings of Beatrix Potter in the early 20th century. Potter was one of the largest landowners in the area, eventually donating her many properties to the National Trust . Shipbuilding later replaced iron and steel as Low Furness's main industry, and Barrow's shipyards became the largest in England. In particular, submarine development became a specialty of the town, with

6724-459: Was the home for a while in 1830 of the poet Felicia Hemans and her family. This is recorded in the text to Lydia Sigourney 's poem Lake Winandermere Oscar Wilde began working on his first hit play, Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), during a summer visit to the Lake District in 1891. A series of children's books by Arthur Ransome , Swallows and Amazons and its sequels Swallowdale , Winter Holiday , Pigeon Post and The Picts and

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