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Cumbria

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Cumbria is a beautiful ceremonial county in North West England.

Cumbria SRTM
Cumbria SRTM

It sits right by the Irish Sea to the west. To the north, it shares a border with Scotland. You can also find the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, and Lancashire nearby. Most of the land is rural, which means it has lots of open countryside. The largest settlement in the area is the city of Carlisle.

Skiddaw Building, University of Cumbria - geograph.org.uk - 715574
Skiddaw Building, University of Cumbria - geograph.org.uk - 715574

The land in Cumbria has many different shapes. The south-west is home to the Lake District. This area is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains Scafell Pike, which is the highest mountain in England.

High Cup Nick
High Cup Nick

You will also find large lakes there. Windermere is the longest and largest lake. Wast Water is the deepest lake in the county. The middle of the county has a wide valley called the Vale of Eden. The River Eden flows through this valley toward the Solway Plain.

Cumbria has a very long and busy history. Long ago, people built stone circles like the one at Castlerigg.

Castlerigg2
Castlerigg2

The Romans also lived here a long time ago. They built a famous structure called Hadrian's Wall in the north.

Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald - geograph.org.uk - 552095
Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald - geograph.org.uk - 552095

Later, different groups like the Vikings and the people of Northumbria lived in the area. For a long time, the land was a border between England and Scotland. Many battles and sieges happened at places like Carlisle during these wars.

In more recent times, the way people lived changed a lot. During the Industrial Revolution, people began mining coal in Cumberland.

Furness Abbey 03
Furness Abbey 03

In the town of Barrow-in-Furness, people started a large shipbuilding industry.

DDH, Barrow-in-Furness
DDH, Barrow-in-Furness

In the 1800s, famous writers like William Wordsworth visited the lakes. They were inspired by the mountains and the water. Even the writer Beatrix Potter lived and worked in this lovely region.

Today, Cumbria is a very popular place to visit. Over 47 million people come to see it every year. Most visitors travel to the Lake District to see the views.

Whinlatter Forest Park Sign
Whinlatter Forest Park Sign

Many people work in tourism to help these visitors. Other people work in big companies, like BAE Systems in Barrow. The county stays a special place where nature and history meet.

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🖼️ Images & Media (19)
File:Cumbria numbered districts 2023.svg
Cumbria numbered districts 2023.svg
File:Castlerigg2.JPG
Castlerigg2.JPG
File:Historic counties within Cumbria.svg
Historic counties within Cumbria.svg
File:Cumbria SRTM.png
Cumbria SRTM.png
File:High Cup Nick.jpg
High Cup Nick.jpg
File:DDH, Barrow-in-Furness.jpg
DDH, Barrow-in-Furness.jpg
File:Whinlatter Forest Park Sign.jpg
Whinlatter Forest Park Sign.jpg
File:Way in - geograph.org.uk - 406894.jpg
Way in - geograph.org.uk - 406894.jpg
File:Muncaster Castle morris edited.jpg
Muncaster Castle morris edited.jpg
File:Skiddaw Building, University of Cumbria - geograph.org.uk - 715574.jpg
Skiddaw Building, University of Cumbria -...
File:Lune Valley from Grayrigg Forest.jpg
Lune Valley from Grayrigg Forest.jpg
File:Map of Northern England with settlements and traditional counties.png
Map of Northern England with settlements...

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