Lakes is a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the
Westmorland and Furness
Westmorland and Furness is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Cumbria, England. The economy is mainly focused on tourism around both the Lake District and Cumbria Coast, shipbuilding and the Royal Port of Barrow, Royal ...
district of
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
, England. It covers the town of
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in the civil parish of Lakes and the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Westmorland and located in the Lake District National Park, the town sits at the ...
, and the villages and hamlets of
Clappersgate,
Rydal,
Grasmere,
Troutbeck,
Chapel Stile,
Elterwater,
Little Langdale and
Waterhead.
History
The parish has its origins in an
urban district
An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter
Specific urban districts in some countries include:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Districts of Germa ...
called Lakes, which was created in 1935 covering the combined area of the former urban districts of Ambleside and Grasmere plus the civil parishes of
Langdales,
Patterdale
Patterdale (Saint Patrick's Dale) is a small village and civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. It is in the eastern part of the Lake District, and the name is also used for the long valley in which the villa ...
,
Rydal and Loughrigg, and
Troutbeck. Ambleside was the largest settlement in the district and where the council was based. The urban district had an area of .
Lakes Urban District was abolished in 1974. Patterdale was transferred to
Eden District, and the remainder of the old Lakes Urban District became a
successor parish
Successor parishes are Civil parishes in England, civil parishes with a parish councils in England, parish council, created in England in 1974. They replaced, with the same boundaries, a selected group of Urban district (England and Wales), urban d ...
called Lakes within the
South Lakeland
South Lakeland was a local government district in Cumbria, England, from 1974 to 2023. Its council was based in Kendal. The district covered the southern part of the Lake District region, as well as northwestern parts of the Yorkshire Dales. A ...
district of the new county of
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
. South Lakeland was in turn abolished in 2023 when the new Westmorland and Furness Council was created, also taking over the functions of the abolished Cumbria County Council in the area.
Governance
There are two tiers of local government covering Lakes, at parish and
unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
level: Lakes Parish Council and
Westmorland and Furness Council
Westmorland and Furness Council is the Local government in England, local authority for Westmorland and Furness, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. It is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, b ...
. The parish council is based at Low Nook on Rydal Road in Ambleside, which forms part of the
University of Cumbria
The University of Cumbria is a public university in Cumbria, with its headquarters in Carlisle and other major campuses in Lancaster, Ambleside, and London. It has roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, establi ...
's Ambleside campus.
The parish is wholly within the Lake District National Park, and so some functions are administered by the Lake District National Park Authority, notably
planning
Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. Some researchers regard the evolution of forethought - the cap ...
.
Lakes CP incorporates within its boundaries the wards of Ambleside, the Langdales, Rydal & Loughrigg, Grasmere and Troutbeck.
Geography
The
A591 road, a primary route, passes through the centre of the parish. It enters the parish from the south at the point where it crosses Trout Beck at
Troutbeck Bridge village. After covering 16 km (10 mi) in road distance (13.4 km (8.5 mi) as the crow flies), it leaves the parish at
Dunmail Raise. The
A592 road passes through the eastern area of the parish. The
col of the Kirkstone Pass, at a point approximately 200 m north of the Kirkstone Inn, marks the northern boundary of Lakes CP.
It is the area covered by the Kelsick Foundation, an organisation that helps locals with the costs of extra-curricular activities for children.
Demography
At the
2021 census, the population of the parish was 4,280.
[ The population had been 5,127 in the 2001 census,]
See also
* Listed buildings in Lakes, Cumbria
References
{{Cumbria
Civil parishes in Cumbria
Westmorland and Furness