Ullswater ©Andrew Locking ©Andrew Ullswater

Ullswater Ullswater carves a roughly north- road connecting forts in Ambleside and Thomas West, who identified a number of eastward path from the high central Penrith, known as High Street, runs along viewing stations around the lake. fells of the Helvellyn and High Street the eastern fells above the valley. massif to meet the gentle Eden Valley. The beauty of the lake and its mountain The 14.5 kilometre-long, dog-legged The main industries in the Ullswater backdrop inspired the building of a number lake that shares the valley name is the Valley were lead mining and slate of villas and creation of designed landscapes, second largest in the Lake District, after quarrying, and some of the archaeological including grounds around the stunning Aira Windermere. remains of these are of national Force waterfall, now owned by the National significance. Important sites include Trust. It was here on Ullswater’s shores at Hartsop Hall mine and Myers Head, the Glencoyne Wood that Wordsworth latter being a well-preserved example The National Trust also owns and cares for was inspired to write possibly the most of a late 19th century mine. But the the adjacent Gowbarrow Park and, over the famous lines of poetry in the English largest mine was at Greenside, west of 20th century, it gradually acquired further language: “I wandered lonely as a cloud, Glenridding, which operated from the key properties, including iconic farms such as That floats on high o’er vales and hill, 1820s until 1961. Glencoyne. It now owns and manages a large When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of portion of the valley. The farming of Herdwick sheep features golden daffodils, Beside the lake, beneath Ullswater has also been the scene of hard- the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the strongly in Ullswater today and the valley contains a number of important fought conservation battles. The Friends breeze”. Wordsworth further acclaimed of the Lake District managed to force Ullswater in one of the most celebrated Herdwick farms, including Hartsop Hall with its Grade II listed 16th century farm electricity cables to be laid underground passages from his great autobiographical along the southern and eastern shores poem ‘The Prelude’. buildings at the southern end of the lake. Some of the Ullswater farms had the of Ullswater, helping to protect a view From an early settlement point of view, largest flocks in the Lake District once appreciated by Wordsworth and the remains of prehistoric activity in JMW Turner. In the 1960s the Manchester Ullswater are extensive, spanning the Ullswater became a popular tourist Corporation was prevented from using the period from Neolithic to the Iron Age. location for lovers of the Picturesque lake for water abstraction in a way which There are examples of rock art near from the late 1700s onwards, thanks would harm the scenery. to both its dramatic scenery and ease the village of Patterdale in the south as Ullswater has a rich heritage of artistic well as stone circles and burial cairns on of access from Penrith. It also featured in early guidebooks including one by inspiration and conservation and enjoys Askham Fell to the north. The Roman a powerful sense of identity thanks to its unmistakable landscape and traditions.

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