bassenthwaite...
Bassenthwaite Lake, a finger of water lying tranquilly under the lofty bulk of Skiddaw, is indelibly linked with the spectacular sight of ospreys swooping over the lake and diving for fish in its waters.
This national nature reserve, fringed with a mosaic of reed beds, fen marshland, woodlands and wild flower meadows, is rich in wildlife.
A new lottery-funded scheme, Bassenthwaite Reflections, is helping to protect the lake's vulnerable plant and animal life through community involvement.
About the area
History & heritage
The earliest known settlement is at Castle How - an Iron Age hill fort on the western shore of Bassenthwaite Lake
bassenthwaite history
bassenthwaite heritage
Art & culture
Over 140 exhibitors from Cumbria and the northwest of England are represented in this rural gallery
Natural environment
The glacial waters of Bassenthwaite and Derwentwater were once joined together as one long lake
What's on
An assortment of scarecrows will be greeting visitors to Bassenthwaite village in late June
Oddities
Bassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake is the only body of the water in the Lake District that is called a ‘lake' - all others are ‘waters', ‘meres' or ‘tarns'.
Bishop of Barf
In 1783 the newly appointed Bishop of Derry was on his way to Whitehaven to take a boat to Ireland. He stopped for the night at an inn beside Bassenthwaite Lake and, after consuming several drinks, wagered that he could ride his pony to the top of Barf, a nearby hill. Halfway up the pony stumbled at a large rock and fell, killing both horse and rider. The large rock (known as Bishop Rock) is painted white in remembrance of this futile act, while at the foot of the slope is another white-painted rock known as The Clerk where the bishop and his pony were buried. Parking at Powter How car park. (NY 220 265).
