The Lake District National Park is at the heart of English countryside and was officially created on the 13th August 1951. The dramatic scenery of the Lake District is credited with inspiring writers and poets such as Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats.
The size and location of the Lake District National Park means there are a huge number of activities available to visitors both on and off the lakes. On this page all about the Lake District National Park you will find our collection of inspiring articles from our Ordnance Survey Champions and industry experts along with a huge archive of hiking, cycling, running and walking routes to try in the Lakes.
Where is the Lake District National Park?
Top Lake District National Park articles
The Lake District is also known as the Lakes or Lakeland. It is a mountainous region in Cumbria, in the North West of England.
The Lake District National Park is England’s largest and covers 2362 square kilometres (912 square miles)
Well you could say there’s just 1! That’s because only Bassenthwaite Lake is officially named a lake and the rest are all called ‘waters’ or ‘meres’. There are 16 major lakes, waters and meres in the Lake District and many more smaller ‘tarns’. Windermere is the longest at 10.5m long and Wastwater is the deepest at 74m deep.
There are 4 mountains in the Lake District over 3000 feet high and 114 classed as Hewitts over 2000ft. Mountains or fells in the Lake District are also famously classified as ‘Wainwrights’. Alfred Wainwright detailed 214 fells in his famous seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells (1955-66). Many walkers and hikers have completed or ‘bagged’ all 214 fells, a badge of honour within the hiking community.
Scafell Pike, 978 m (3209 ft) is the highest mountain in the Lake District.
It’s a large area so there are a number of Ordnance Survey maps available for the Lake District National Park. The best way to ensure you have the correct Lake District map for your needs is to pop in your key locations into our Ordnance Survey Map Finder portal. The map finder will help you decide which map type and map area is best for you. You can also print a personalised map centred for any UK location – perfect for planning your lake District Holiday once you know where you’ll be based and can save you having to buy 2 maps.
