3990 Learning at home workbook 6 ebook

The Lake District – 1
Text
Read the report.
Ask anyone to choose five areas of outstanding natural beauty in
Great Britain and you can be sure the Lake District will be mentioned.
Nestled in the far north-west of England, in the county of Cumbria, the
Lake District National Park is one of superlatives.
‘The Lakes’, as the area is commonly known, is the largest, by area,
of England’s national parks. It contains all the land in England over
915 m above sea level; the highest peak being Scafell Pike at 978 m.
It is home to the longest and largest English lake, Windermere, and
the deepest, Wastwater. Without doubt, it has some of the most
stunning scenery of all the British Isles. Unfortunately, it also has
the dubious honour of being perhaps the wettest place in England!
The geology and natural topography of the Lake District are the result
of millions of years of geological activity, including volcanic eruptions
and glacial sculpturing. The park has 16 lakes, set in the valleys of the
majestic, brooding fells (moors) but there are also many mountain lakes,
known as tarns, high up in the hills. An aerial view of the district has been
likened to a bicycle wheel with the lakes and valleys radiating like spokes
from the central hub at Dunmail Raise, the highest point on the road
between the towns of Kendal and Keswick.
Although the Lake District is a rural area with many thriving farming
communities, tourism has taken over from agriculture as the backbone
of the economy. With close to 15 million visitors each year, there are many
ways to earn a living. The hospitality trade is the biggest employer, providing accommodation to suit all
budgets, from campsites to luxury hotels, and food outlets from cheap and cheerful cafes to celebrity chef
restaurants.
There are an infinite number of ways to enjoy the natural environment of this magnificent corner of England:
fishing, boating, sailing, canoeing and rowing on the lakes; pony trekking, hiking and cycling on the fells; climbing
and abseiling on the rocks; and paragliding, silently surveying the spectacular scenery the Lake District has on
show. Even on rainy days, there is plenty to do as there are many caves and old mines to be explored.
The towns of Keswick, Ambleside and Windermere are very popular with tourists as they offer a central location
from which to explore the area and gain access to the many activities. But Mother Nature and outdoor leisure
pursuits are not the only reasons for The Lakes’ popularity.
The Lake District is steeped in history. Lying so close to the border with Scotland and the impressive Hadrian’s
Wall, it is not surprising that there is evidence of early Roman Britain in the area. At Ravenglass, you can visit
the remains of a Roman bath house; and a short distance away, at Hardknott, are the remains of a fort. Tucked
away in a quiet corner of Ambleside, often missed by the hordes of tourists, is Galava, another Roman garrison.
Travelling even further back in time to the new Stone Age, it is believed there was a stone-axe ‘factory’ in the
centre of the national park. Greenstone, a very hard volcanic rock, was quarried from rocks at Langdale Pikes.
Examples of lakeland neolithic axes have been found all over Britain, suggesting they were used in trading.
The Lake District is also famous for its links with literature. Beatrix Potter’s farm and Hill Top House were the
setting for her Peter Rabbit and friends stories. Windermere and its lake and fells were the setting for many
of Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons adventures. At the turn of the 19th century, William Wordsworth,
famous for his Daffodils poem, was one of the Lake Poets who lived in the area. The most famous and popular
series of guidebooks for walking the fells of the Lake District are those written by Alfred Wainwright in the first
half of the 20th century. The maps and illustrations are all hand drawn but with such detail and accuracy that,
together with his explanations of the routes, they still make an excellent companion for today’s hikers.
© R.I.C. Publications
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With the arrival of communication links and changing patterns of industry, life for the people of the Lake District
has altered over time, but one constant has always remained ... its awesome beauty.
My learning log When I read this report, I could read: all of it. most of it. parts of it.
R.I.C. Publications® www.ricpublications.com.au 3 ISBN 978-1-922313-88-1 Learning at home workbook 6