The Lake Districtis a glaciated upland area in Cumbria, north-west England.
It stretches 64km from north to south, and 53km east to west.
It became a National Park in 1951
Tourism Attractions and Opportunities
Water-Based Activities
The ribbon lakes and tarns are part of a unique and hugely varied landscape, and a recreational resource.
Lake Windermere specialises in ferry cruises.
Most people sail between the main centres of Windermere and Ambleside.
Small boats are allowed on many lakes.
Areas are set aside for windsailing and power-boating so the activities do not clash and there are quiet areas.
Fishing from the shore or boats is becoming more popular.
Walking
One of the most popular reasons why people visit the lake district
Routes vary from short and flat to extremely long and tough *cough, cough-school trip-cough, cough*
Public access to the fells is unrestricted.
Many guides have been written for walkers and climbers. The most famous is by Wainwright, but Wordsworth also wrote one.
Historical and Cultural
The Lake District has been occupied since the end of the ice age 10,000 years ago, and evidence of early settlement remains.
The land has been farmed for centuries, leaving a distinctive field pattern with drystone walls.
Many 19th Century writers and artists, such as John Ruskin, loved the area.
Beatrix Potter's family had a summer home there, which is why she later settled there at Hill Top beside Lake Windermere.
Impacts of Tourism
12 million tourists, compared with 42,239 residents
Traffic Problems
Over 89% of visitors come by car, often just for the day, yet many roads (including A roads) are narrow and winding. Buses and delivery vehicles have to use these to service both locals and tourists.
Queues are a common problem, especially towards the end of the day when day trippers are heading home.
Towns like Bowness-on-Windermere were not originally built for the huge volumes of traffic that arrive in the summer, especially at weekends. Congestion and parking are serious problems. A new car park has been built at Braithwaite Fold on the edge of town, and another has been extended, but capacity is still inadequate. In desperation, some people park on grass verges, causing serious damage.
Honeypot Sites
Both physical and cultural honeypot sites - beauty spots, small shopping centres and historic houses all attract hundreds of visitors daily.
Cat Bells is quite an easy climb, so many people walk up the smaller mountain, meaning it suffers from serious footpath erosion.
Bowness is an extremely busy shopping and recreation centre in the summer.
Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's house, attracts families.
Pressure on Properties
Almost 20% of property in the Lake District National Park is either second homes or holiday let.
Some local people make a good income from owning and letting second homes, but there are several issues with them.
Holiday cottages and flats are not occupied all year.
The same is true of second homes, so their owners are not part of the community full time.
Holidaymakers do not always support local businesses, often doing a supermarket shop at home before their trip. On the other hand, the main supermarket in Windermere is often full of visitors buying food and drink for their stay.
Demand for property from outsiders increases property prices in the Lake District, causing problems for local people who are forced out to find affordable homes on the edge of the region in Kendal or Penrith. This is the most serious problem.
Environmental Issues
Water sports are not allowed on some of the lakes, but Lake Windermere, the largest lake, has ferries and allows power-boating, windsurfing and other faster and more damaging activities. The main issue is the wash from faster vehicles eroding the shore. Fuel spills are not uncommon, causing pollution.
County strategic roads, often dual carriageways, are built on the edges of the Lake District to help move traffic in and out as efficiently as possible.
Distributor roads link the small towns and key tourist villages.
Access roads are small and take less traffic. Many people do not drive beyond the larger settlements. Some routes are 'scenic' and sometimes there is a choice, which splits traffic between routes.
Traffic on smaller roads can be slowed by traffic-calming measures in villages, cattle grids in the countryside and an overall maximum speed limit.
Heavy lorries should be kept off scenic routes.
Planning Public Transport
Where possible bus lanes operate in towns, although narrow streets limit this.
Park-and-ride schemes encourage people to leave their cars at the edge of national parks and go by bus. Costs are lower than town car parks.
Buses in most rural areas remain a difficulty as roads are so narrow.
Honeypot Management Footpaths:
Repairing footpaths improves appearance and encourages people to stay on the path.
Reinforcing path surfaces reduces further damage.
Signposting routes limits the number of paths.
Parking:
Fence off roadsides so people cannot damage verges.
Develop several new small car parks and hide them by landscaping using tree planting.
Reinforce car park surfaces to prevent damage. 'Waffles' are large concrete slabs with holes in them. Soil fills the holes and grass grows, giving a hard green surface.
Litter:
Bins should be provided at key points and emptied regularly. Overflowing bins encourage more litter.
Property Prices
Local authorities could build more houses for rent and developers could erect more low-cost homes for sale.
Possible ban on second homes.
Environmental Issues
Speed limits for boats to limit the amount of wash caused - but would have to be very low to prevent erosion - defeats the point: going fast!
Windermere speed limit is 18kph.
Limiting the noisiest and most damaging sports to certain parts of the lakecan restrict the amount of damage done.
Tourism Conflicts
Farming
Visitors can trample crops and disturb livestock, but signs and education have limited these problems.
Tourists have offered hill farmers new opportunities for diversification in different economic times.
Income can be made from B&B accomodation, holiday cottage converted from farm buildings, camping and caravan sights. Activities such as pony trekking and paintballing can be offered.
Employment
Many jobs are created.
Many businesses thrive and make a profit.
Seasonality is a problem.
Low pay
Unpredictable visitor numbers
Speeding Limit
March 2005, ban on boat users exceed 10mph (15km/h) (actually introduced in 2000 but a period of time was allocated for application.
Suppoters: South Windermere Sailing Club, Ambleside Anglers Association, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Lake District National Park Authority.