The Northern Lake District Distinctive Area is a mixture of upland limestone, high fell fringe, rugged high fell and upland valleys – from gently rolling improved farmland to the rounded mountain massifs of Skiddaw and Blencathra. Oak woodland is a distinctive landscape feature of the area.
There are significant tracts of common land including the Buttermere, Brackenthwaite, Caldbeck and Uldale Commons.
Keswick and smaller settlements lie in valleys containing several lakes: Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite, Thirlmere, Buttermere, Loweswater and Crummock Water. Thirlmere is significant as it is also a reservoir. Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest water bodies in the Lake District. It is the only body of water in the Lake District to use the word "lake" in its name, all the others being "waters".
The railway path, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a beautiful traffic free, tree-clad, four mile route which winded through Greta Gorge along the old trackbed of the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway.
In December 2015 Storm Desmond hit the Lake District with severe flooding and winds causing widespread devastation.
The much loved Keswick to Threlkeld railway path suffered greatly. Two of the old railway bridges that crossed the River Greta and around 200 metres of the path surface were washed away, and one bridge left at risk of collapse.
We need to raise £3m to reconnect the path. The Lake District National Park and the Lake District Foundation are driving the fundraising campaign forward with support from the local community and businesses but we urgently need your help to spread the word and donate.
To help us reconnect the route, donate today through the Lake District Foundation
