The Lake District, located in the north west of England, has become the latest UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UK.

English Lake District: Ullswater from Gowbarrow © Andrew Locking

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, Poland, announced on Sunday 9th July 2017 that the English Lake District, along with sites in Brazil and Turkey, would be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The English Lake District is a mountainous area with valleys formed by glaciers in the Ice Age and subsequently shaped by agricultural and pastoral land use.

According to the World Heritage Committee: “The combined work of nature and human activity has produced a harmonious landscape in which the mountains are mirrored in the lakes. Grand houses, gardens and parks have been purposely created to enhance the beauty of this landscape.”

There are now 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK and the Lake District joins the likes of Stonehenge in England, the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh in Scotland and the medieval Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd, North Wales.

The beauty of the Lake District has been appreciated since the 18th century and has been celebrated it in numerous paintings, drawings, poems and books. It has also long inspired an awareness of the importance of natural landscapes and triggered early efforts to preserve them.

“It is great news that one of England’s most spectacular regions has been recognised in this way,” said Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism. “Made famous by the likes of William Wordsworth, John Ruskin and Beatrix Potter, who were inspired by the majesty of the landscape, the Lake District is now a popular tourist destination. We would strongly recommend including the Lake District in any tour of England!”

Click here to read our recommendations of what to do and see in the Lake District. If you or your group would like to visit the English Lake District on a tailor-made tour of the United Kingdom, please do contact our friendly team today.