Esthwaite Water is situated between Windermere and Coniston, just south of the village of Hawkshead.
Esthwaite Water covers around 280 acres (1.1 km2) and is known for its excellent fishing, particularly trout and pike and has been designated as a site of special scientific interest.
It is notable as one of the most nutrient rich of the mesotrophic lakes in Cumbria. Mesotrophic lakes are lakes with an intermediate level of productivity. These lakes are commonly clear water lakes and ponds with beds of submerged aquatic plants and medium levels of nutrients.
"Site Name: Esthwaite Water
Web Address: ECN Data Centre: Esthwaite Water
ECN Data Centre: Home
Country (Site Location): United Kingdom
LTER Member Network: United Kingdom (ECN)
Contact: Site Manager: Heidrun Feuchtmayr
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Free Keywords: lakes freshwater
General Site Description: UK ECN Site.
Esthwaite Water is a natural lake situated in a glacial valley and is generally agreed to be the most productive or eutrophic lake in the English Lake District. It lies approximately 65 m above sea level and has an area of 1 km2 and a maximum depth of 15.5 m. The average retention time is 90 days. The catchment area is 17.1 km 2 and the hills are composed geologically of Bannisdale slates and grits.
The surrounding land is used chiefly for agricultural purposes and forestry.
The lake is a grade 1 Site of Special Scientific Interest and has been a designated "Ramsar" site since November 1991. The diverse aquatic invertebrate fauna includes a number of species with restricted distributions in Britain, one of which is the flatworm, Bdellocephala punctata. The slender naiad, Najas flexilis, which is listed as Nationally Scarce, has been found in Esthwaite Tarn. Artificial enrichment of the lake occurs by input from the Hawkshead Sewage Treatment Works (which has operated a continuous programme of phosphate stripping since 1989) and originally from effluents from the fish farm which used to be situated towards the south of the lake. The lake undergoes summer stratification with oxygen depletion regularly below 7 m and sometimes as shallow as 5 m. The phytoplankton tends to be dominated by diatoms in spring and by cyanobacteria for much of the summer." SOURCE: (
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Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention. Source: (
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"Beatrix Potter’s favourite lake, Esthwaite Water, is thought to have inspired her creation of the character Jeremy Fisher, and was recently featured in the national news thanks to its private owner’s unusual decision to sell the lake on the auction site eBay. Whilst access to the land around the lake is restricted, there is plenty for visitors to do.
The Esthwaite Water Trout Fishery offers a self-driven boat tour of the lake where hunting Osprey are an almost daily sight, and the lake is also renowned for its trout stock, with everything you need to get started available at the Fishery shop.
Parking
Car parking is available both in the villages of Near Sawrey on the southern end of the lake and at Hawkshead on the northern end of the lake.
In addition, a small pay and display car park is available on the shore of the lake on the south-western end at Ridding Wood (Grid Ref SD 362 954), accessed via a single track road that stretches along the western shore of the lake from Near Sawrey to Hawkshead.
Facilities
A shop and boat hire can be found at the Hawkshead Trout Fishery Boat House at Grid Ref SD 360 955 (or postcode LA22 0QF for satnav users). Public toilets, shops, pubs and cafés can all be found at Hawkshead.
Walking Trails
As Esthwaite Water is privately owned, much of the lakeshore is restricted. It is possible to walk around the lake, but the entirety of the route is on the roads that run between Hawkshead and Near Sawrey. A short walk is available from Hawkshead down to the lake shore, starting at SD 354 975 and finishing at the shore at Nab, SD 358 973, where you may want to enjoy a picnic." SOURCE: (
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