Bassenthwaite Lake

Bassenthwaite is both of one of the largest and shallowest lakes in the region, and also a village that lies a little over a mile to the northeast of it, after which the lake is named. “Thwaite” comes from an old Norse word meaning “meadow”, so the name means something like “Bastun’s meadow”. Who Bastun was exactly, we don’t know, but a local Viking overlord seems a good bet. Another suggestion is that Bastun may have been a nickname from the Norman French, bastun being a stick or baton.

Buttermere

“Mere” is simply another name for “lake”. Buttermere means “the lake by the dairy pastures”, indicating that the land adjacent to it has been used since ancient times for grazing cattle, and that it had a good reputation for producing fine milk and butter.

Coniston Water

Also deriving from the Anglo-Saxon, Coniston’s name was probably originally Cyning’s ton, meaning “the king’s manor”, but given a Scandinavian twist through Viking influence.

Crummock Water

Once part of Buttermere, but now separated from it by an alluvial plain, the name Crummock appears to mean “crooked river”, referring to the river Cocker, which flows through it. Then again, as a surname, it means “crooked oak”, and may well refer to a distinctive tree that once stood in the vicinity.

Derwent Water

Named after the river Derwent, which drains through it on its course towards the Irish Sea, the name is a corruption of the Celtic dwr-gent, meaning “clear water”. It is still possible to see today how the lake, and the river, acquired such a name, as the water remains crystal-clear. Another theory has the origin in the old word for an oak, derw, meaning that the lake and its river were in a region abundant in oak trees.

Devoke Water

Probably deriving from dubaco, an old Celtic word meaning “dark”, Devoke is simply the dark lake, presumably from its appearance. (The name of the Irish capital, Dublin, means “the black pool”.)

Ennerdale Water

Another name that invokes a Viking chieftain, Ennerdale was once “Anenderdale”, the dale (or valley) of Anundar.

Grasmere

One of the more obvious derivations, Grasmere simply means the grassy lake, denoting a lake with grassy shores.

Haweswater

From hafr, Old Norse for “goat”, this is the goat’s lake. The name probably relates to some individual whose nickname this was (as in “the old goat”!).

Hayeswater

Another lake named after an individual, Hayeswater is the lake of Eithr, an old Icelandic name.

Loweswater

The name derives from an Old Norse compound word, laufsaer, meaning “leafy”, so this is the leafy lake.

Rydal Water

Like the place name Ryedale, this name means “the valley of rye”, denoting a place where that cereal crop was grown.

Thirlmere

From the Old English thyrel, meaning “gap”, the name refers to the fact that this lake once narrowed to a strip at its centre, where it could be crossed over a wooden bridge. This made it the lake with a gap in it.

Ullswater

Probably another of those Viking chieftains, Ulfr gave his name to one of the most picturesque lakes in the region.

Wast Water

From Wasdale, the valley with the lake, this name has become something of a tautology in its history. It is now the lake of the valley with a lake.

Windermere

Vinandr is the Old Norseman who gave his name to the most famous of the Lakes, Vinandr’s lake.