Derwentwater, or Derwent Water, is one of the principal bodies of water in the
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is a national park in North West England that includes all of the central Lake District, though the town of Kendal, some coastal areas, and the Lakeland Peninsulas are outside the park boundary.
The area was desi ...
in north west England. It lies wholly within the
Borough of Allerdale, in the county of
Cumbria.
The
lake occupies part of
Borrowdale and lies immediately south of the town of
Keswick. It is both fed and drained by the
River Derwent. It measures approximately long by wide and is some deep. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited.
Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being Keswick,
Portinscale and the
Lodore Falls
Lodore Falls is a waterfall in Cumbria, England, close to Derwentwater and downstream from Watendlath. The falls are located on the beck that flows from Watendlath Tarn, and tumble more than over a steep cascade into the Borrowdale Valley. Alth ...
, from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and there is an extensive network of footpaths in the hills and woods surrounding the lake.
The Keswick to Borrowdale road runs along the eastern shore of the lake and carries a regular bus service. There is a lesser, or unclassified, road along the western shore connecting the villages of
Grange
Grange may refer to:
Buildings
* Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906
* Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682
* Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery
Geography Australia
* Grange, South Austral ...
and Portinscale.
Derwentwater gave its name to the
Earldom of Derwentwater.
From 2008 to 2014, the lake was believed to be the last remaining native habitat of the
vendace (''Coregonus vandesius'') fish from the four originally known sites:
Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwentwater in the
Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
, and the
Castle Loch & Mill Loch in
Lochmaben. However, a breeding population was discovered at Bassenthwaite Lake by conservationists in September 2014.
Etymology
'Derwent' is " '(River) with oak trees', traditionally explained from Brit." (i.e.:
Brythonic Celtic) or Cymric Old Welsh, hence Cymria " 'derwā' 'oak' plus suffixes, hence of the same origin as other English rivers named Derwent, Darwen, Darent and Dart...The river gave its name to Derwent Water (which was also known as the 'Lake of Derwent', 'Keswick Lake', or 'Keswick Water' in the 18th-19th centuries)...".
Plus "OE 'wæter', with the meaning probably influenced by its ON relative 'vatn'."
Derwentwater's islands
There are numerous islands in Derwentwater, the largest being
Derwent Island
Derwent Island House (often called Derwent Isle House) is a Grade II listed 18th-century Italianate house situated on the Derwent Island, Derwent Water, Keswick, Cumbria, and in the ownership of the National Trust. It is leased as a private home ...
,
Lord's Island
Lord's Island, which is one of the seven islands on Derwent Water in Keswick, Cumbria, England, got its name from the Earls of Derwentwater who used to live here. Not only was there a fine house on this island but it also had a drawbridge
A d ...
,
St Herbert's Island
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
, Rampsholme Island, Park Neb, Otter Island, and Otterbield Island. There is a house on Derwent Island.
St. Herbert's Island is named after a 7th-century hermit priest;
Herbert of Derwentwater.
In Art and Literature
Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration ''Derwent Water'' is attached to a plate of ''Derwent Water, from the Castle Head, Cumberland'' (artist
Thomas Allom) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837.
[ ]
In popular culture
A slightly cropped and color hue-edited real photo with an open view of the Derwentwater was used by
Team Silent as a backdrop image at the very beginning of the
Konami's "
Silent Hill 2
is a 2001 survival horror game developed by Team Silent, a group in Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and published by Konami. The game was released from September to November, originally for the PlayStation 2. The second installment in ...
" video game, to serve as a higher ground touristic observational viewpoint of the fictional "Toluca Lake" (not to be confused with
Toluca Lake, Los Angeles) in the local area encompassing the fictional eponymous town of "
Silent Hill",
Maine. Derwentwater was used in the 2018 video game
Forza Horizon 4. The album artwork for the 2010 album
Black Sands by
Bonobo
The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus '' Pan,'' the other being the comm ...
features a photograph taken of Derwentwater. The tower in the background is located in Castlerigg (54°35′29.95″N 3°7′3.43″WCoordinates: 54°35′29.95″N 3°7′3.43″W). On his album ''Republic of Geordieland'', singer-songwriter
Richard Dawson has a song titled "Derwentwater Farewell." Derwentwater was used as the principal location for the planet Takodana in the sci fi movie sequel ''
Star Wars: The Force Awakens''.
Panoramas
Gallery
File:Derwent Water from Cat Bells, Lake District.jpg, From Cat Bells
Cat Bells is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It has a height of and is one of the most popular fells in the area. It is situated on the western shore of Derwentwater within of the busy tourist town of Keswick. I ...
File:Derwentwater (DSCF8800).jpg, Keswick ferry terminal
File:Derwent Water with mist.jpg
File:Canoes at Derwent Water.jpg, Some canoes and a dock at the edge of Derwent Water
See also
References
External links
Lakes Derwenwater GuideRobin Pecknold - "Derwentwater stones"
{{authority control
Cumberland
Lakes of the Lake District
LDerwentwater
Allerdale