Lake District, aka the land of lakes

As students, in seeking the thrill of the nightlife or perhaps a brief respite in a coffee shop, we often neglect the fact the UK has a number of national parks, lakes, beaches, or otherwise remarkable scenery. Be it because of insufficient funds, time pressure, or plain and simple apathy, we as students find ourselves guilty of not leaving the proximity of the heavily urbanized areas, which to some individuals can be inherently mentally suffocating. In my two years as the president of the Residents’ Association, I have come to find out that it is beyond these areas where we can truly relax and reenergize. Thus, for the sake of mental health and seeing the underappreciated but beautiful side of England, just after exams I organized the second annual trip to the rainiest yet perhaps the most dazzling part of the country – the Lake District.

Our bus arrived in Bowness-on-Windermere, situated right next to Windermere – the largest lake in England, on what according to the English standard was an exceptionally warm and sunny morning. The Lake District is not a small place; it encapsulates several cities with approximately three times the annual visitor numbers of Prague. It is an integration of exciting hiking routes, impeccable view and a plethora of spots to relax. Exploring the entirety of the national park would probably take ages as even the smallest villages offer a number of stunning viewpoints and interesting landmarks. From the shore, Windermere itself is certainly a sight to behold, however, a fifteen-quid boat hire can enhance that experience a hundredfold. Though it is absolutely something I wholeheartedly recommend and would suggest not to miss, there are certainly other cheaper alternatives. With more time to spare, I would undoubtedly recommend taking a ferry boat tour of the entire lake.

The lake is indeed the park’s marvel, and yet the inland areas have as much to offer, if not more. I believe that areas such as the Lake District yield one of the finer parts of the British culture and give us a different perspective on the life in the UK; from traditionally built cottages and farms to local cuisine such as fish and chips or locally bred lamb. The area also has a number of peculiar trees or tree stumps covered in coins; the locals explained that these are wish trees, aka coin trees, where visitors embed their coins hoping for their wish to come true. The legend has it that some of these coins date back to the 19th century and earlier. Another interesting thing you might come across are poems, usually engraved in stone, written by English poets who inhabited the area in the 19th century (Lake Poets). These poems usually incorporate religion and the appreciation of the Lake District’s beauty.

One of the ones I found reads:

“Thou, Who hast given me eyes to see
And love this sight so fair,
Give me a heart to find out Thee,
And read Thee everywhere.” (Keble, 1819)

And a “sight so fair” the Lake District indeed is; the pictures should speak for themselves. The Lake District is one of the natural wonders of the UK, and though it ultimately might mean going a bit out of your way, even for just a day it is absolutely worth it.