Buttermere

Buttermere is a photogenic and naturally beautiful ribbon lake, set amongst the backdrop of striking fells and picturesque countryside, with "some of the finest glacial features of the district." The 12th largest lake from our list is located at the head of the Buttermere Valley where it sits in a glacial trough along with its neighbours Crummock Water and Loweswater; the only valley in Lakeland with three lakes.

The main settlement is the village of Buttermere. It was named after the lake. The civil parish of the same name encompasses a large area including Honister in the east, the southern aspect of Dale Head, the northern aspect of High Stile and Haystacks, Grasmoor and Whiteside in their entirety, and both Buttermere and Crummock Water. The countryside within this boundary offers substantial walking opportunities, which makes this a popular place for visitors. One of easiest is the casual walk around the lake, with its slightly undulating and well-maintain gravel paths.

The village and environs offer accommodation with two hotels, a youth hostel, holiday cottages, and a campsite. There is also a small church dedicated to St. James, and light refreshments are served in the local farm cafe and tea room respectively. There are three car parks, five with hotel parking facilities. One of the car parks belongs to the National Trust and provides free parking to members. Access is via the B5289 (Honister Pass) or Newlands Pass if coming from Keswick.

Geography

The steep-sided rocks of the valley are both rugged and dramatic. The surrounding contours contain a mix of rock groups, where "strong geological contrasts appear on either side," these being volcanic, granites, and a combination of mudstones, slate and sandstones of the Skiddaw Group of rocks. Both lakes were originally one much larger lake, with the middle section created by alluvial material deposited from Sail Beck, Mill Beck, and the various tributary becks that feed into them. This now large area of land has several fields and is used primarily for farming purposes. The lake is 28 metres at its deepest point, has a surface area of 0.94 km2, and sits at 100 (328 feet) metres above sea level

There is also substantial infill at the southern end of the lake, with Warnscale Beck and Gatesgarthdale Beck as the principle inflows. Two deltas are evident where Hassnesshow Beck and Comb Beck flow in the lake. The former is now a large field, and has a larger catchment area. This would account for it being three times larger than the latter, which is the site of a small wood. From above it is clear the extent to which alluvial deposits have increased the land, and reduced the size of the lake. If this process were to continue without human intervention, the sedimentary buildup would eventually fill the lake completely. The deltaic spread here is similar to that found between Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake, where it is on a larger scale.

There are several slate beaches located around the lake, varying in size and popularity. The material from which they are made mirrors the material of the local bedrock, and what is brought down from the surrounding fells. Broken down over long periods of time, this material is washed up to form impressive bays or linear beaches of gravel, pebbles or cobbles depending on locality. At Buttermere, the beaches are made of a much finer slate, rolled and tumbled into smooth flakes. In terms of quality, the beaches here, and Crummock Water, are amongst the best in the Lake District. This comes as no surprise to the number of visitors who flock to the water’s edge, some people well equipped for a full day’s camping and water sports, such as paddle boarding and kayaking. For the adventurous swimmer, lake and tarn bagging is a favourite amongst enthusiasts keen to “bag” as many lakes and tarns as possible, something that is done for fun, social events or a personal achievement. The waters here are cold and refreshing, although caution should always be advised, especially in the cooler months of spring and autumn when the waters may be colder than expected. If this is the case, then wearing a wetsuit is a precautionary measure. During the height of summer, and during school holidays in particular, the beaches at Buttermere can become a hive of activity.

Etymology

The name Buttermere means the lake with good pasture-land, which comes from Old English butere (butter) and mere (lake, pool). This would make sense due to the large, fertile alluvial plains situated at both ends of the lake.

Another possible origin of the name has links with Jarl Boethar (also known as "Buthar"), an 11th century Norse Earl who'd attained lands around Buttermere, and was the leader of an Anglo-Scandinavian resistance against the Normans under Ranulf le Meschin, Lord of Cumberland. Whaley suggests that the place name interpretations of this legend are incorrect, the "legend has some basis insofar as Victoria County History deemed it 'not disputed that the family of the Scotic ruler, Bueth or Boet, held its own against the Norman intruder', with possession of the barony of Gillesland, for fifty years after the Norman Conquest."

Sources

• Smith, Alan (2012). The Big Lakes of Lakeland. The Landscapes of Cumbria No.5. Keswick: Rigg Side Publications.
• Victoria County History (1901). The Victoria History of the County of Cumberland. Vol.1. London: Constable.
• Whaley, Diana (2006). A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society.