There are seventeen expanses of water that are big enough to be considered as lakes in the Lake District National Park.  Not all of these waters are lakes as some are what are tarns or reservoirs.  That said, at the risk of being pedantic, most people consider the waters in the area to be lakes.

The name tarn has evolved from the Viking settlers who referred to a small lake as a ‘tjorn’ and other common definitions include ‘small mountain lake’.  At the end of the day, who cares!  Whether they are truly lakes, tarns or water courses they are a beautiful location where you can see fantastic landscapes as well as enjoying some of the very best nature available in the UK.