Ennerdale Water, as seen from Revelin Crag

Ennerdale Water is one of the smaller lakes in the region of northern England known as the Lake District. The most westerly lake in the Lake District, it is situated relatively close to the port towns of Whitehaven and Workington. Ennerdale is a popular destination for hikers, tourists and cyclists, but not by any means as popular amongst tourists and visitors as other lakes in the National Park, and thus has not been spoiled by construction, activity on the lake or any other trappings of intensive tourism. This is due to the vast majority of the surrounding lands being under the ownership of the National Trust, who favour conservation rather than profitable tourism. As a result Ennerdale Water is arguably one of the more natural-looking lakes in the Lake District. A small Scout camp has been resident in the woods around the lake for a long time, but is only in use during the more climatically forgiving summer months when children from the local area and beyond move in to enjoy activities on and around the lake. However, once a year during summer, the area does garner more attention with the annual holding of the 'Ennerdale Show', a showcase of local crafts, foods and culture.

The small village of Ennerdale lies near to the lake. Containing little more than a shop, a couple of pubs and few houses, it is a typical small Cumbrian village.

Geography

Geographically, The lake itself lies nestled in a valley surrounded by a small range of hills and mountains. One of these mountains, Bowness Knott, is home to a large breeding population of the once endangered Peregrine Falcon, whose conservation and population is maintained by the RSPB. Ennerdale Water is a glacial lake, at its deepest only 45 metres (150 feet), and measures between 700 and 1500 metres (1/2 mile to a mile) across and 3.9 kilometres (2 1/2 miles) long. Due to the clarity and exceptional freshness of the lake water Ennerdale contains a wide variety of freshwater fish.

The level of the lake has been artifically raised by construction of a dam, to enable it to be used as a reservoir for Whitehaven, prior to which the lake was known as Broadwater.

Media Coverage

Even though the Lake District is a popular location for the media in the UK, Ennerdale has been left relatively in the shadow, with only a few brief exceptions. The closing sequences of the movie 28 Days Later (2002), directed by Trainspotting director Danny Boyle, were filmed around the Ennerdale area, and include a sweeping panoramic view of the lake.

On the Web

Wild Ennerdale (http://www.wildennerdale.co.uk/)