The Lake Monster of Windermere, Cumbria

Windermere is a town of about 2300 population withindeep. Ribbon lakes were formed during the last ice
the Lake District National Park in the North Westage and are canyons with a river at either end. A
England shire county of Cumbria. Windermere townglacier would have dug a glacial trough through a vein
center is half a mile from Lake Windermere, England'sof soft rock, creating a canyon surrounded by the
largest fresh water natural lake. Lake Windermere hasharder rock of the mountains. Boats from the piers in
been summer and holidays cottage country since forBowness sail around the lake. There are 18 islands in
the middle of the 19th century when a railway branchthe lake, the largest of 40 acres and privately owned.
line gave the city-folk from central England access toTwo other villages are along the lake shoe, Ambleside
the area's beauty.and Lakeside. Sailing from one to the other is an
The town of Windermere does not touch Lakeexcellent way to while away a summer's day.
Windermere. But it has grown together with lakesideSince the 1950s there have been isolated reports of
town of Bowness-on-Windermere. The odd combinedsomethin odd in Lake Windermere. The story,
town retains two distinct town centres. Thedocumented by Centre for Fortean Zoology, was not
Windermere railway station continues in operationmuch known until 2006, when a man and wife
today.reported seeing something large swimming about 30
While there are a many cultural attractions in theyards from shore. This focused local attention on the
Wingemere area, none can match the beauty of theLake and later in the year a photographer named
natural environment. The mountains of CumbriaLinden Adams took some photos that were picked up
surround the lake basin, at the center of which lies theby wire services and cable news network.
ten and half mile long ribbon lake: long, narrow and