Ullswater

Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately 9 miles (14.5 kilometres) long and 0.75 miles (1200 metres) wide with an average depth of around 200 feet (60 metres).

Many people regard Ullswater as the most beautiful of the English lakes: it has been compared to the superb Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. It is a typical Lake District narrow “ribbon lake” formed after the last ice age when a glacier scooped out the valley floor, the deepened section filled with melt water when the glacier retreated, and it became a lake. The surrounding mountains give Ullswater the shape of an elongated “Z” giving it three separate segments (or “reaches”) which wend their way through the surrounding hills.

The origin of the name “Ullswater” is uncertain. Some say it comes from the name of the Nordic chief Ulf who ruled over the area; however, there was a Saxon Lord of Greystoke called Ulphus whose land came down to the lake shore. The lake may have been named Ulf’s Water in honour of either of these. The village of Glenridding is situated at the southern end of the lake, popular with tourists of all kinds but especially mountain walkers who can scale England’s third highest mountain, Helvellyn, and many other challenging peaks from here. The village has ample accommodation including two Youth Hostels and good camping sites. The village of Pooley Bridge is at the northern extremity of the lake. Its narrow 16th-century bridge straddling the River Eamont as it flows out of Ullswater, it is overlooked by Dunmallard Hill which was the site of an Iron Age fort.

One of the great attractions of Ullswater is the lake steamers which offer tourist trips around the lake calling at Pooley Bridge and Glenridding, and also at Howtown during the summer. The steamers were originally working boats which started in the 1850s moving mail, workers and goods to and from the Greenside lead mine at Glenridding which closed in 1962. Today there are three steamers plying the waters of Ullswater, “Raven”, “Lady of the Lake”, and “Lady Dorothy”. Many people catch the steamer from Glenridding to Howtown during the summer and then return on foot back along the lake shore to complete one of the most popular and scenic low level walks in the Lake District.

Ullswater is very popular as a sailing location with sailing marinas situated around the lake. At weekends especially the lake is dotted with many yachts but there are facilities also for diving, rowing and motorboats. Another of Ullswater's attractions is the spectacular waterfall of Aira Force midway along the lake on the western side. Close to the falls is Lyulph's Tower, a pele tower or castellated building, built by a former Duke of Norfolk as a shooting box.

Sir Donald Campbell set the World water speed record on Ullswater. On 23 July 1955 he piloted the jet-propelled hydroplane “Bluebird K7” to a speed of 202.32 m.p.h. (325.53 km/h). The highly renowned Sharrow Bay Hotel is also situated on the shore of Ullswater on the road between Pooley Bridge and Howtown.

Just south of Pooley Bridge on the lake's eastern shore is Eusemere, where anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846) lived; the house gives one of the best views of the lower reach of Ullswater. William and Dorothy Wordsworth were friends of Clarkson and visited on many occasions. After visiting Clarkson in April 1802 Wordsworth was inspired to write the poem “Daffodils” after seeing daffodils growing on the shores of Ullswater on his journey back to Grasmere. Wordsworth once wrote of Ullswater: "it is the happiest combination of beauty and grandeur, which any of the lakes affords".

External links

• Lake District Desktops (http://www.lakedistrictdesktops.com/lakedistrict/032-ullswater.html) - More Ullswater information and photographs.