Derwentwater Live Cam

The largest and most beautiful of the 11 National Parks of England and Wales. Its spectacular landscapes - visited by up to 18 million people each year - are cared for by the Lake District National Park Authority.

Built in 1892 Hazeldene is a splendid example of Victorian architecture. The twenty spacious bedrooms are all comfortably furnished with an en suite shower and toilet. Each has its own hairdryer, drinks cabinet, direct dial telephone and tea making facilities. The Burleigh Suite is also available: this is an elegant 1st Floor Studio Suite with magnificent panoramic views.

We have two lounges for our guest's leisure. The 'quiet' blue lounge and the Honister Lounge Bar serving a selection of beers, spirits, aperitifs and liqueurs. There is also pool and table tennis available in the conservatory.

For 200 years Keswick has been a favourite halting place for visitors to The Lake District. A bustling market town in a picture postcard setting between Derwentwater and the slopes of Skiddaw, Keswick stands on the threshold of England's most beautiful and inspirational countryside. The qualities that have made Keswick famous are shared by the Hazeldene Hotel.

Keswick is an ideal destination for your visit to the Lake District with facilities for water sports, horse riding, golf, tennis, squash and bowls, together with museums and the 3,000 year old Castlerigg Stone Circle. Keswick has also recently gained a new theatre, the aptly named 'Theatre by the Lake'.

Not only is The Lake District the most beautiful place in England but it also has a fascinating cultural heritage; the poet William Wordsworth chose to live and write here as did the children's author Beatrix Potter. For those who enjoy the active life, The Lake District has no shortage of things to do including walking, cycling and climbing to name a few. Many however, come here to relax, or to enjoy less strenuous activities such as photography, painting or shopping! Whatever your reasons for coming to the area we look forward to welcoming you to the Hazeldene Hotel.

This welcoming family-run hotel stands on the outskirts of Keswick, a bustling market town in the heart of the Lake District, England. It is an easy two minutes walk from the centre of Keswick with its fascinating old buildings and shops.But a mere 7 minutes leisurely walk away in the other direction is an altogether different world: the tranquil shores of Derwentwater, with the magnificent Borrowdale Valley beyond. The views from all our rooms are extensive. To the north the bulky mass of Skiddaw rises above the rooftops of Keswick; to the south, Borrowdale unfolds and gives a distant glimpse of Glaramara and Great End (part of the Scafell massif).

It is patently clear that the quality of landscape and grandeur of scenery of the Lake District was the major factor in bringing about a system of statutory protection and recognition of this north western corner of England. Covering 880 square miles, the Lake District National Park is the largest of Britain's 11 National Parks.

The evolution of National Parks dates back to the classical poets - Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey, and later Ruskin - all of whom devoted considerable energy to literary descriptions of, in particular, the Lake District. Wordsworth, who lived in Grasmere, has been credited with originating the concept. The boundary of the Lake District National Park, which encloses one third of the County of Cumbria and extends from Caldbeck in the north to Lindale in the south, from Ravenglass in the west to Shap in east, has not changed since 1951. It was recommended to Government in the Hobhouse Report of 1946.

A number of elements brought together form a quality of landscape which is unsurpassed in England; the fells, the dales, the lakes, the villages, all contribute without doubt to satisfy the criteria of the fathers of the national park movement: an extensive area of beautiful and relatively wild country, which should be preserved for the benefit of the nation. (John Dower 1945) extensive tracts of country in England, which by reason of their natural beauty and the opportunities they afford for open air recreation..(National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949).

Volcanic rocks and glaciers have produced the landscape of the central Lake District fells, centuries of sheep grazing has prevented the regeneration of native trees, resulting in a mosaic of upland vegetation types. The wild characteristics of the fells is contrasted with the more intensively cultivated land and man-made features of the valleys. The fells are also important for archaeology and wildlife and contain a legacy of old mines and quarries.

The effects of glaciation is the main landscape form in the central Lake District with each dale having its own distinctive characteristic set against a backcloth of fells. Within the dales man's imprint on the landscape is most clearly associated with farming - fields, walls, and buildings.

The presence of such a large number of water surfaces grouped together in a compact area of magnificent fells and dales scenery singles out the Lake District as being different from any other part of Britain. Each lake has an identity, with differing size and shape, lakeshore characteristics, wildlife and the degree to which it has open access and recreational use.

The Lake District National Park offers a wide variety of holiday accommodation. From hotels to guesthouses, barns to bed and breakfast and self catering cottages to caravans. There is no shortage of things to do and see making it the ideal choice as a holiday destination. The accommodation information below is a guide to help you find the best accommodation for you.

Hotels and Catered Accommodation. The Lake District offers a variety of hotels, from luxury to cosy family quest houses. Self Catering. If freedom is the key to your enjoyment of the Lake District there are a number of holiday cottages for rent throughout the area. Caravans and Tents. The Lake District National Park Authority publishes a guide to caravan and camping, which is available from any of the information centres. If you want to get right into the countryside but prefer a roof over your head, the Lake District's network of camping barns could provide the answer.

Striding Edge Hostel - Situated at 1000 feet, Striding Edge Hostel provides warm and comfortable, basic group accommodation, whether you're studying, exploring, adventuring or just relaxing. Converted from the former Greenside mine buildings, the solid stone hostel accommodates 18 and is well appointed with a large dining and common room, drying room, payphone, ladies and gents showers, toilets, kitchen with utensils, gas cooker, fridge and plenty of storage.

Lakeland Camping Barn Network - A Camping Barn is a stone barn providing simple overnight shelter for walkers and cyclists. It is a pleasant way to camp; roomy, dry, above and below, so there is no need to carry a tent. It has a wooden sleeping platform, table, slate cooking bench, cold tap and WC, also a bucket and bowl, clothes hooks and waste bags. All barns give access to superb walking country with high and low level walks to suit all abilities.

Camping and Caravan Guide - The guide supplies details of 113 sites throughout 60 areas of the Lake District. Caravan sites in the National Park are licensed to be open from 1st March to 31st October only. Many caravan park operators may take advantage of extended season opening until the 14th November.

Making a Reservation - The Lake District National Park Authority Information Centres offer free booking of accommodation. When enquiring about accommodation, as well as checking prices and other details, you will need to state your requirements clearly and precisely - for example: arrival and departure dates; the accommodation you need; any specific requirements, eg group booking.

The Lake District National Park Authority has produced a booklet to help people with limited mobility to identify countryside routes appropriate to individual circumstances. Each of the routes described has been `road tested' by local residents using wheelchairs, and a broad grading scheme has been adopted to guide other users in terms of the surface quality and gradient.