| The English Lake District is an area of
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| | attraction, with people coming from all
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| great natural beauty located in the north
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| | over the world. And still, to this day,
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| of England. The area is famous for its
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| | the boats on Lake Windermere are one of
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| amazing beauty and peaceful landscapes.
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| | the most successful tourist attractions
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| Its popularity has always been partly due
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| | in England!
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| to its rich cultural past involving three
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| | Tourism adds tens of millions of pounds
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| famous Lakes poets - of whom more in a
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| | to the local economy every year. And even
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| moment!
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| | though many people now enjoy going abroad
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| The Lakes also hosts England's highest
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| | on their holidays, the enduring appeal of
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| mountain, Scafell Pike, and deepest lake,
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| | the Lakes will ensure millions of people
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| Wast Water. All of these qualities have
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| | continue to visit in the years ahead.
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| made the Lake District one of the most
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| | As we mentioned, the Lake Poets -
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| popular tourist destinations in the UK.
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| | especially Wordsworth - were instrumental
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| Back in the late 17th century, walking
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| | in promoting Lake District tourism
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| and hiking breaks in the Lake Districts
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| | through their depiction of the glorious
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| were mostly enjoyed by people who lived
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| | scenery. The "Lake Poets" is the
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| near or in the local area, since they
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| | collective name for a group of iconic
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| could easily reach the beautiful valleys
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| | poets who all lived in the Lake District
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| and mountains the area has to offer.
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| | during the late 18th and the early 19th
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| But things had to change - and they did,
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| | century: Robert Southey, William
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| when, in 1778, Thomas West wrote his
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| | Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
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| pioneering guidebook about the Lake
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| | All three poets drew inspiration from the
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| District, a new development which
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| | spectacular landscapes in the Lake
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| promoted visitors and brought hundreds of
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| | District to create some of their most
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| travellers to the area. The popularity of
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| | famous works. And all three men were
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| the region grew so much that in the late
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| | major influences in establishing the
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| 18th century the local authority
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| | Romantic Movement.
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| responded by erecting viewpoints and
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| | William Wordsworth was born in
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| "station houses", which allowed visitors
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| | Cockermouth in April 1770. The place of
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| to see and experience some of the Lake
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| | his birth has now been renamed Wordsworth
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| District's most stunning views and
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| | House. From 1779 until 1787 he attended
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| landscapes.
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| | Hawkshead Grammar School; there he had
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| Wordsworth wrote his first guidebook to
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| | his first experience of writing and
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| the Lakes in 1810, and over the years
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| | reading poetry which he practiced
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| this developed into a five volume work
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| | extensively thanks to encouragement from
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| which became an invaluable tool for
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| | his teachers. He often walked into the
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| travellers. Of course Wordsworth also
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| | countryside and got his inspiration from
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| drew poetical inspiration from the Lake
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| | the Lakes scenery which surrounded him.
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| District - more on this in a moment!
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| | After his years at the small village
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| In the early 19th century, tourism in the
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| | grammar school in Hawkshead, one can only
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| Lake District started booming thanks to
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| | imagine how he felt when he departed for
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| the establishment of railway links in
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| | Cambridge university.
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| areas such as Kendal and Windermere.
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| | In 1795 while Wordsworth was staying in
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| These railway links made the Lake
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| | Dorset, he met Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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| District much more accessible to working
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| | and Robert Southey. This was the
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| people. To accommodate the huge numbers
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| | beginning of a stimulating and creative
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| of visitors, new attractions and
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| | relationship. Wordsworth travelled
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| facilities were introduced; for example,
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| | extensively throughout his life,
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| the powered motor vessels on the lakes
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| | especially in Europe and the Alps, but
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| let people see a world they would never
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| | always returned to the Lake District;
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| have dreamed of only a few years before,
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| | indeed, he passed away at Grasmere in
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| and contributed to massive economic
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| | 1850.
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| growth in the local area.
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| | Robert Southey was born in Bristol in
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| In the early 1950s the Lake District got
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| | 1774 and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Devon
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| national park status so as to help
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| | in 1772. They became immediate friends,
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| preserve its natural beauty from
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| | and when they met Wordsworth, the group
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| unhealthy commercial and industrial
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| | known as the Lake Poets was founded. They
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| influences. The new motorway - the M6 -
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| | became poetical pioneers of the Romantic
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| which was built along the east side of
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| | Movement.
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| the area made the Lake District even more
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| | Between the three of them, they helped
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| accessible by car; something of a mixed
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| | revolutionize this period in English
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| blessing, with over 14 million people
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| | poetry, and the Lake District was the
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| travelling to the Lake District each
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| | perfect backdrop for their inspiration -
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| year!
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| | as it has continued to be to this day,
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| Interestingly, the Lake District is
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| | for artists as diverse as William
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| Britain's second largest tourist
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| | Heaton-Cooper and Beatrix Potter.
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