History
Although the Lake District countryside may seem wild, its appearance is because of human activity, particularly farming. People have been using the area for at least 10,000 years.
Many of the Lake District names still used today originate from early times for example: dale (valley), gill (gorge), beck (stream), tarn (lake) and thwaite (clearing). Once trees had been cleared, charcoal was made and then used as a fuel to make iron in Furness, copper in Borrowdale and Coniston and lead in Glenridding.
Find out more about the area's history in:
and in our archaeology section.
