What is the largest lake in England?
Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. Located in the Lake District, Cumbria, it is about 11 miles, or 18 kilometres, long and up to about one mile wide.
Windermere was formed by glaciers during the last ice age, which carved out a deep valley. Its maximum depth is about 67 metres.
The lake has been a popular tourist destination since the arrival of the railway in 1847, which brought visitors from industrial towns.
Boating and towns
Lake cruises run between Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside and Lakeside. Visitors can hire boats, kayaks and paddleboards.
The Windermere Jetty Museum displays historic boats, including steam launches. Speed record attempts have been made on the lake, including by Henry Segrave in 1930.
Windermere has 18 islands, the largest being Belle Isle. Concerns about water quality have led to campaigns to protect the lake.
Strictly speaking, Bassenthwaite Lake is the only body of water in the Lake District with lake in its name, because names such as Windermere already include mere, an old word for lake. Most others are called waters, meres or tarns.