Crummock Water
Crummock Water is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled lakes in the English Lake District, lying in the Buttermere valley of Cumbria in north-west England. It is the third largest lake in the Lake District, stretching roughly two and a half miles in length and about half a mile across at its widest point, with a maximum depth of around 44 metres. Unlike many of the more famous lakes in the region, Crummock Water has remained largely uncommercialised, and this sense of quiet wildness is precisely what draws walkers, photographers, and nature lovers who want to experience the raw beauty of the fells without the busier crowds of Windermere or Derwentwater. The lake is owned and managed by the National Trust, which helps ensure its landscape and character are protected for future generations. It supplies drinking water to the surrounding area, which also means no powered boats are permitted on its surface, contributing greatly to its peaceful atmosphere.
The lake sits in a glacially carved valley, a testament to the immense forces of ice that shaped the Lake District during the last ice age. The surrounding topography was gouged and moulded by glaciers retreating some ten to twelve thousand years ago, leaving behind the steep fellsides, hanging valleys, and ribbon lakes that define this part of Cumbria. Crummock Water and its immediate neighbour Buttermere to the south were once a single lake before alluvial deposits from the River Sail and other streams gradually built up the flat, green delta of farmland that now separates them. The village of Buttermere sits on this ancient delta, and the connection between the two lakes remains visible in the level, marshy ground between them. The name Crummock derives from the Cumbric or Brythonic word meaning "crooked" or "bent," likely referring to the curved shape of the lake's shoreline.
In terms of physical character, Crummock Water is a place of commanding drama and quiet intimacy in equal measure. The western shore is dominated by the great bulk of Mellbreak, a fell that rises steeply almost directly from the water's edge, its flanks covered in bracken and rough grass that turn from green to copper and gold as autumn progresses. To the east, the fells of Grasmoor and its neighbours form a high, dark ridgeline that catches cloud and shadow throughout the day. The lake surface itself shifts constantly with the light — on still mornings it becomes a perfect mirror reflecting the fells, while on blustery days it churns into a steely, wind-raked sheet. Standing at the shore, you hear the sound of water lapping against the stony beach, the call of birds, and often nothing else except the wind moving through bracken and reeds. The air carries the particular clean, peaty scent of the fells, especially after rain.
The wildlife of the lake and its surrounds is exceptional. Crummock Water is well known for its population of Arctic char, a relic species left over from the Ice Age that survives only in the coldest, deepest lakes in Britain. Red squirrels can be found in nearby woodland, and the skies above the lake are frequently patrolled by buzzards and peregrine falcons. Otters are present in the valley, though elusive, and the reedbeds and marshy margins of the lake support breeding waterfowl including teal and goosander. In winter, the lake attracts wildfowl including goldeneye, and the valley has a desolate grandeur quite different from the softer, more pastoral appearance of summer.
The village of Buttermere sits about a mile to the south of the southern end of the lake and provides the main base for visitors. It contains a small cluster of traditional Lakeland buildings including the Fish Inn and Bridge Hotel, both of which have long histories serving travellers to the valley. The story of Mary Robinson, the so-called Beauty of Buttermere, is one of the most famous local tales: in the early nineteenth century, a man calling himself the Honourable Alexander Augustus Hope visited the valley, fell in love with and married the innkeeper's daughter Mary, and was subsequently exposed as a bigamist and imposter named John Hatfield. The scandal gripped the nation, Hatfield was eventually hanged for forgery, and Mary's story was later novelised by Melvyn Bragg and became part of the enduring folklore of the Lake District.
The walk around the full perimeter of Crummock Water is one of the most rewarding in the entire Lake District, covering roughly eight miles on clear paths and allowing views of the lake from every angle. The path along the eastern shore is particularly fine, with the water close at hand and the fells reflected in it on calm days. A short detour from the main circuit leads to Scale Force, the highest single-drop waterfall in the Lake District, which plunges roughly 170 feet into a shadowed ravine on the slopes of Mellbreak and Red Pike. The waterfall is genuinely spectacular, particularly in wet weather, and relatively few visitors make the effort to find it, meaning it retains a sense of discovery. The path to Scale Force passes through open fell and bracken, and the sound of the falls can be heard long before the waterfall itself comes into view.
Getting to Crummock Water requires either a car or careful use of limited public transport. The B5289 road runs through the Buttermere valley and there is a small National Trust car park at Buttermere village as well as limited roadside parking near the northern end of the lake at Lanthwaite Green. During summer weekends the car park fills quickly, so arriving early in the morning is advisable both to secure a space and to enjoy the lake before the day's visitors arrive. A seasonal bus service — historically the 77 and 77A "Honister Rambler" service — runs from Keswick and allows car-free visitors to reach the valley, though it is worth checking current timetables as services have varied over the years. The nearest larger towns are Cockermouth to the north-west and Keswick to the north-east, both accessible within about thirty minutes by car.
The best times to visit are spring, when the fells are clear and the days are lengthening, and autumn, when the bracken and woodland turn extraordinary shades of bronze and red. Winter visits reward those prepared for cold and potential snow with an entirely different, austere atmosphere, and the low winter light produces some of the most dramatic photography conditions in the Lake District. Summer is inevitably busier, but even in July and August the lake retains a quieter character than the more tourist-heavy southern lakes. The lake and surrounding paths are accessible year-round, though some higher fell routes can be hazardous in winter conditions. There are no formal visitor facilities at the lake itself beyond the parking areas; the village of Buttermere provides cafés, a pub, and toilets a short walk away.