England's finest hiking area
The relatively open character of the uplands, and the lack of modern development, is especially important. To walk freely across the fells, or climb their crags, is liberating and gives a feeling of wildness. To many the Lake District is a place where it is possible to feel remote, yet know the nearest settlement is never far away.
Lake District locals have worked the land and helped shape the landscape, while writers and environmentalists have campaigned for landscape protection. Artists and writers such as Turner, Heaton Cooper, Kurt Schwitters, Wordsworth, Coleridge and De Quincey have gained inspiration from the area, as well as children's authors Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter.
The area has its own dialects and distinctive sports such as hound trailing, fell running, and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. Indigenous breeds of sheep and local crafts and foods are celebrated at valley shows and nationally.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |