A, Windermere

Windermere is the largest natural lake in England, and is entirely within the Lake District National Park. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847,

The children's book series Swallows and Amazons is based loosely on life before World War II around a fictional lake derived from a combination of Windermere and Coniston Water.

Windermere is 10½ miles (17 km) long stretching from Newby Bridge To Ambleside and varies from a quarter of a mile to one mile wide at Millerground(400 m to 1500 m). The lake covers an area of 14,7 sq km (5,7 sq miles). It reaches a depth of about 220 feet (65 m) near its northern end and has an elevation above sea level of 130 feet (40 m). The lake is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven.

There are two towns on the lake, Ambleside and Bowness-on-Windermere

The lake is largely surrounded by foothills of the Lake District which provide pleasant low-level walks; to the north and north-east the higher fells of central Lakeland commence.

Windermere is one of a very few lakes in Britain which has a perceptible diurnal tide.

For many years, power-boating and water-skiing have been popular activities on the lake. In March 2000, however, the Lake District National Park Authority controversially introduced a byelaw setting a 8.7 knot (10 mph, 16.1 km/h) speed limit for all powered craft on the lake.
Racer Norman Buckley set several world water speed records on Windermere in the 1950s.