Windermere, England, UK

• Windermere is the largest natural lake in England.
• It is in the county of Cumbria and entirely within the Lake District National Park. Windermere has also been the venue for the Great North Swim since 2008.
• The word "Windermere" is thought to translate as "Vinandr's lake", from the Old Norse name Vinandr and Old English mere, meaning lake.

• It is a ribbon lake formed in a glacial trough after the retreat of ice at the start of the current interglacial. It was formed 13,000 years ago during the last major ice age by two glaciers, one from the Troutbeck valley and the other from the Fairfield horseshoe. When the glaciers melted the lake filled with the meltwater, which was held in by moraine (rock material) deposited by the glacier.
• The lake is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven. It is replenished by the rivers Brathay, Rothay, Trout Beck, Cunsey Beck and several other lesser streams.
• The lake is largely surrounded by foothills of the Lake District which provide pleasant low-level walks; to the north and north-east are the higher fells of central Lakeland.

• The lake contains 18 islands. By far the largest is the privately owned Belle Isle (16.18 hectares (40.0 acres)) lying opposite Bowness and around a kilometre in length. The other islands or "holmes" are considerably smaller. The word "holme" or "holm" means island and comes from Old Norse.
• It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway's branch line in 1847.