Bassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake lies in the north west of the Lake District, just a short distance north
from the market town of Keswick. Bassenthwaite is an attractive and
unspoilt lake, home to many species of wildlife including, during the summer months, England's
only breeding Ospreys. The southern end of the lake provides a wetland habitat that is a
breeding ground for more than 70 species of birds. As such, power-boating is not allowed on
the lake, and sailing is restricted to Dubwath at the northern end. Bassenthwaite Lake
remains largely unspoilt as it is not as accessible as the more central lakes (much of the
shoreline is privately owned), and nearby Derwentwater attracts
the attention of most visitors to this corner of Lakeland.
The mightily impressive Skiddaw lies to the east, and on the scree slope of Barf Fell near Thornthwaite is the Bishop of Barf, a craggy outcrop which is painted white by the landlord and locals of the nearby Swan Hotel. This traditional practice is performed to commemmorate a cleric who is said to have failed in an attempt to climb the scree on horseback.
It is said that Bassenthwaite Lake was the inspiration for Lord Alfred Tennyson's description of the lake into which the sword Excalibur was thrown in his famous novel Morte d'Arthur. Another interesting fact to note is that Bassenthwaite is the only 'Lake' in the Lake District - all of the others include 'mere' or 'water' in their names, rendering the addition of the word 'lake' superfluous!