borrowdale with watendlath & newlands valley...
‘a wild country south of Keswick' wrote William Gilpin in 1752 and so it must have seemed to the first Victorian tourists to venture through the ‘Jaws of Borrowdale'.
Today Borrowdale is regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Cumbria, with sheep-grazed uplands and extensive tracts of oak woodland draping the hillsides.
The flat valley pastures are divided into neat fields by massive stone walls; ancient packhorse tracks wind their way through the landscape, and through it all runs the clear, sparkling water of the River Derwent and its tributaries. This is a glacial landscape.
About the area
History & heritage
The earliest evidence of human habitation is at Castle Crag at the entrance to Borrowdale.
borrowdale history
borrowdale heritage
Attractions & activities
There is plenty to do in the Borrowdale Valley especially for outdoor enthusiasts.attractions & activities
Natural environment
Renowned for its ancient oak woodlands. These are the last remnants of the temperate rainforests that once covered the western coasts of Britain.read more
What's on
With Keswick close by there are plenty of events for all tastes and ages. From Kendal Mountain Festival to plays at Theatre by the Lake.
what's on in borrowdale
keswick events
Oddities
Slate for the Queen
Slates from Honister grace the roofs of Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and the Ritz Hotel in London.Thwaite meaning
‘Thwaite' is a common suffix of place names in Borrowdale. It is a Norse word for ‘clearing' - as in Rosthwaite (clearing with the heap of stones), Stonethwaite (clearing in stones) and Seathwaite (clearing among the sedges).Rainy days
Seathwaite in Borrowdale (NY 235 122) holds the distinction of being the wettest inhabited place in England with a mean annual rainfall of over 3 metres (120 inches). The heaviest annual rainfall ever recorded in the UK was at Sprinkling Tarn in 1954 when over 6½ metres of rain fell over the course of the year!Where to stay
Using this search
This quick search allows you to find properties within 3 miles of Borrowdale. For more detailed searches click on the advanced option.
Eric Robson's Borrowdale
Chair of gardener's question time on BBC radio 4, acclaimed writer and broadcaster Eric Robson gives his own unique introduction to Borrowdale.
