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DERWENTWATER

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 78 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DERWENTWATER , a See also:

lake of See also:Cumberland, See also:England, in the See also:northern See also:part of the celebrated Lake See also:District (q.v. for the See also:physical relations of the lake with the district at large). It is of irregular figure, approaching to an See also:oval, about 3 M. in length and from i m. to 14 m. in breadth. The greatest See also:depth is 70 ft. The lake is seen at one view, within an See also:amphitheatre of mountains of varied outline, overlooked by others of greater height. Several of the lesser elevations near the lake are especially famous as view-points, such as See also:Castle See also:Head, Walla See also:Crag, See also:Ladder Brow and See also:Cat Bells. The shores are well wooded, and the lake is studded with several islands, of which See also:Lord's See also:Island, See also:Derwent Isle and St See also:Herbert's are the See also:principal. Lord's Island was the See also:residence of the earls of Derwentwater. St Herbert's Isle receives its name from having been the See also:abode of a See also:holy See also:man of that name mentioned by See also:Bede as contemporary with St See also:Cuthbert of Farne Island in the 7th See also:century. Derwent Isle, about six acres in extent, contains a handsome residence surrounded by lawns, gardens and See also:timber of large growth. The famous Falls of Lodore, at the upper end of the lake, consist of a See also:series of cascades in the small Watendlath See also:Beck, which rushes over an enormous See also:pile of protruding crags from a height of nearly 200 ft. The " Floating Island " appears at intervals on the upper portion of the lake near the mouth of the beck. This singular phenomenon is supposed to owe its See also:appearance to an See also:accumulation of See also:gas, formed by the decay of See also:vegetable See also:matter, detaching and raising to the See also:surface the matted weeds which See also:cover the See also:floor of the lake at this point.

The See also:

river Derwent (q.v.) enters the lake from the See also:south and leaves it on the See also:north, draining it through Bassenthwaite lake, to the Irish See also:Sea. To the north-See also:east of the lake lies the See also:town of See also:Keswick.

End of Article: DERWENTWATER

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