Elterwater

Elterwater
Elterwater bridge
Elterwater  Elterwater shown within Cumbria
OS grid reference	NY327048
Civil parish	Lakes
District	South Lakeland
Shire county	Cumbria
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	AMBLESIDE
Postcode district	LA22
Dialling code	015394
Police	Cumbria
Fire	Cumbria
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Westmorland and Lonsdale
List of places UK England Cumbria

Coordinates: 54°26′03″N 3°02′16″W / 54.434222°N 3.037741°W

Elterwater is a village in the English Lake District and the county of Cumbria. The village lies half a mile (800 m) north-west of the lake of Elter Water, from which it derives its name. Both are situated in the valley of Great Langdale.^[1]

In the past, the principal industries have been farming and quarrying, with evidence of both still very visible. In the present day, tourism is the principal source of income.

John Ruskin attempted to set up a lace making industry here and artist Kurt Schwitters was a resident of nearby Chapel Stile, where one of his Merzbarn project was created.

Only a quarter of the houses in Elterwater are permanently occupied, the rest being holiday cottages.

Etymology

" 'The lake frequented by swans', from ON 'elptr'/'alpt' 'swan', in the gen.[itive], sing.[ular] form with '-ar', and 'water', probably replacing ON 'vatn' 'lake'. Whooper swans still winter on the lake".^[2](ON is Old Norse).

References

1. Parker, 2004, page 37
2. Whaley, Diana (2006). A dictionary of Lake District place-names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society. pp. lx,423 p.108–109. ISBN 0904889726.

Bibliography

• Parker, John Wilson (2004). An Atlas of the English Lakes. Cicerone Press. ISBN 1-85284-355-1.

External links

Media related to Elterwater at Wikimedia Commons