Grasmere (lake)
| Grasmere | |
|---|---|
 View from Loughrigg Terrace, looking across the lake towards Grasmere village | |
| Location | Lake District, Cumbria |
| Coordinates | 54°26′56″N 3°01′15″W / 54.448834°N 3.020897°WCoordinates: 54°26′56″N 3°01′15″W / 54.448834°N 3.020897°W |
| Primary inflows | River Rothay |
| Primary outflows | River Rothay |
| Basin countries | England |
| Max. length | 1680yd (1540m) |
| Max. width | 700yd (640m) |
| Surface area | 0.24mi² (0.62km²) |
| Islands | 1 |
Grasmere is one of the smaller lakes of the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. It gives its name to the village of Grasmere, famously associated with the poet William Wordsworth, which lies immediately to the north of the lake.[1]
The lake is 1680 yd (1540 m) long and 700 yd (640 m) wide, covering an area of 0.24 mi² (0.62 km²). It has a maximum depth of 70 ft (21m) and an elevation above sea level of 208 ft (62 m). The lake is both fed and drained by the River Rothay, which flows through the village before entering the lake, and then exits downstream into nearby Rydal Water, beyond which it continues into Windermere.[1][2]
The waters of the lake are leased by the Lowther Estate to the National Trust. The waters are navigable, with private boats allowed and rowing boats for hire, but powered boats are prohibited. The lake contains a single island, known as The Island.[1]
Etymology
" 'The lake flanked by grass'; 'gres', 'mere'. Early spellings in 'Grys-', 'Gris(s)-' might suggest ON 'griss' 'young pig' as 1st el.[ement], but the weight of the evidence points to OE/ON 'gres' 'grass', with the modern form influenced by Standard English....The medial '-s(s)e-' may, as suggested by Ekwall in DEPN,[3] point to ON 'gres-saer' 'grass-lake' as the original name...".[4] Plus the element "'mere' OE, ModE 'lake, 'pool'".[5]
(OE is Old English up to around AD 1100; ON is Old Norse.)
References
- 1 2 3 Parker, 2004, pages 34-36
- ↑ Parker, 2004, page 90
- ↑ Ekwall, Eilert (1960). The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names (4th ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. l, 546.
- ↑ Whaley, Diana (2006). A dictionary of Lake District place-names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society. pp. lx,423 p.136. ISBN 0904889726.
- ↑ Whaley, 2006, p.411,
Bibliography
- Parker, John Wilson (2004). An Atlas of the English Lakes. Cicerone Press. ISBN 1-85284-355-1.