Haweswater ©Andrew Locking Haweswater

Haweswater

Like Thirlmere, Haweswater is a reservoir in England, known as High Street, and Before the flooding, the existing lake of valley, flooded in 1935 to create a long, linking forts at Penrith and Ambleside, Haweswater was the highest natural lake curving body of water running south- runs along the high fells on the west side in the Lake District at 211 metres. west to north-east. It is a tranquil, less of the valley. visited corner of the Lake District, lying At the start of their famous walking on the region’s north-east edge. Its lack There was also some monastic influence tour in 1799, Wordsworth and Coleridge of farms and inbye grazing along the in Haweswater because of the proximity stayed at Bampton, the village at the reservoir’s entire length lends most of of Shap Abbey which was founded in foot of Haweswater. Both men walked Haweswater a sense of wilderness. 1191. Nearby is Lowther Castle, historic along the shore of the old lake and over seat of the Lowther family, the dominant the passes into Longsleddale and then The head of the valley is dominated by family in Westmorland, and home to Kentmere. Haweswater’s Kidsty Pike Branstree, Harter Fell, Mardale Ill Bell, High 600 hectares of landscaped parkland subsequently features in Wordsworth’s Street and Kidsty Pike, and features the and grounds. Grade I listed Askham 1800 poem ‘The Brothers’: “On that tall tarns of Small Water and Blea Water, Hall to the east is another example of pike (It is the loneliest place of all these the deepest mountain tarn in the Lake a fine designed landscape and formal hills) There were two springs which District. At the other end, the valley gardens. bubbled side by side As if they had been opens out into the broad and gentle made that they might be Companions limestone Lowther Valley. Thomas Apart from a little copper mining, slate for each other: the huge crag Was rent West in his ‘Guide to the Lakes’ quarrying and charcoal production, with lightning – one hath disappeared; described Haweswater as a “sweet the only significant industry to impact The other, left behind, is owing still”. but unfrequented lake” and “most the valley over the centuries is water pleasantly elegant”. extraction in the form of the reservoir. The Haweswater Valley area is the only valley area in the Lake District with no Although the flooding of Haweswater The early farming landscape in the main National Trust land ownership. However, has hidden any traces of prehistoric valley of Haweswater was lost when United Utilities, the private water settlement in the valley bottom, there the small hamlet of Mardale, with its company, which has inherited is evidence of Bronze Age activity on church and Dun Bull Inn, was flooded the Manchester Corporation estate, higher ground, including standing by the Manchester Corporation. Up until is assisted in its management of the stones, burial cairns and a hillfort at that time, the inn was famous for its estate by the Royal Society for the Castle Crag. The highest Roman road autumnal shepherds’ meet. Protection of Birds.

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