Grasmere (Cumbria)

Grasmere is a village and tourist destination in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and has associations with the Lake Poets. The poet William Wordsworth, who lived in Grasmere for 14 years, described it as "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found."Before 1974, Grasmere lay within the former county of Westmorland. Today it is part of the county of Cumbria.Etymology"'The lake flanked by grass'; 'gres', 'mere'. Early spellings in 'Grys-', 'Gris(s)-' might suggest ON 'griss' 'young pig' as 1st el., but the weight of the evidence points to OE/ON 'gres' 'grass', with the modern form influenced by Standard English....The medial '-s(s)e-' may, as suggested by Ekwall in DEPN, point to ON 'gres-saer' 'grass-lake' as the original name...". Plus the element "'mere' OE, ModE 'lake, 'pool'." (OE refers to Old English, ON to Old Norse.)GeographyThe village is on the river Rothay which flows into Grasmere (the water body), which lies about 0.5 km to the south. The village is overlooked from the north-west by the rocky hill of Helm Crag, popularly known as The Lion and the Lamb or the Old Lady at the Piano. These names are derived from the shape of rock formations on its summit, depending on which side you view it from.A number of popular walks begin in the village, including the ascent of Helm Crag, a longer route up to Fairfield and a moderate 200-metre ascent to Easedale Tarn. The village is also on the route of Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk.