The Lake District

• Context

  Upland landscape in Cumbria in northwest England;

  Landscape is shaped by past valley glaciers.
• Glaciation

  Present landscape is a result of glaciation during the Pleistocene Period during the last million years (over 20 glaciations have occurred in this period).

  A brief episode of glacial re-advance in upland Britain from 12880 to 11500 years ago called Loch Lomond Stadial.
• Skiddaw Group


  Oldest in the Lake District;

  Formed as black muds and sands settling on the sea bed about 500 million years ago;

  Since been raised up and folded by tectonic forces;

  Found in the North and the mountains they form are typically smooth, with many streams occupying deep gorges.
• Borrowdale Volcanic Group


  In the central Lake District;

  consists of very hard lava and ash formed in major eruptions about 450 million years;

  make up the highest mountains e.g. Scafell, Helvellyn and Great Gable.
• Windermere Group


  Sedimentary mudstones, sandstones, siltstones and some limestone;

  formed in the sea about 420 million years ago;

  Later folded and faulted, pushed up and eroded down to their present levels forming the gentler scenery of the southern part of the Lake District around Morecambe Bay;