Glenridding is a village at the southern end of Ullswater, in the English Lake District. The village is popular with mountain walkers who can scale England's third-highest mountain, Helvellyn, and many other challenging peaks from there.

Glenridding
Village
Looking down on Glenridding village and Ullswater from the west
Glenridding is located in the former Eden District
Glenridding
Glenridding
Location in the former Eden District
Glenridding is located in Cumbria
Glenridding
Glenridding
Location within Cumbria
OS grid referenceNY383170
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPENRITH
Postcode districtCA11
Dialling code017684
PoliceCumbria
FireCumbria
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cumbria
54°32′38″N 2°57′11″W / 54.544°N 2.953°W / 54.544; -2.953
Greenside in 2009. The buildings seen here are the lower part of the mine complex which spreads up the hillside.
Glenridding across Ullswater, with one of the steamers leaving the pier

Etymology

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The name Glenridding is generally agreed to be Cumbric in origin, with the first element being *glinn, 'valley', and the second being *redïn, 'ferns, bracken' (cf. Welsh glyn rhedyn),[1][2] giving a meaning of 'valley overgrown with bracken'.[2] First recorded as Glenredyn in around 1290,[2] the name's present form is thought to have been influenced by the Middle English element ridding, 'clearing'.[1]

Geography

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Glenridding is in the civil parish of Patterdale.

On 6 December 2015, Storm Desmond caused extensive and devastating flooding to the village, with torrential rainfall and rivers bursting their banks. Four days later, more rainfall caused rivers to burst their banks once again, leading to even more flood damage to businesses and homes in the village. Following the floods the community set up a Flood Action Group who continue to work on recovery and resilience measures to reduce the risk of future flooding.[3][4][5]

Community and culture

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Each year, on Easter Monday, a duck race is organised by the local mountain rescue team to raise funds.[citation needed] The village also has a rich sporting history, particularly in the traditional Lakeland sport of Fell Running and each September the Helvellyn Triathlon is held at Jenkins' Field by the shores of Ullswater, at one time considered the toughest triathlon in the UK.[6]

Amenities

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The village has accommodation including two youth hostels and camping sites. Glenridding House provides luxury bed and breakfast accommodation. There is also a tourist information centre, Ullswater Information Centre.[7]

Greenside Mine

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Above the village is the site of the former Greenside Mine, once the largest lead mine in the Lake District. Lead ore was discovered in the 18th century and the site was mined from the second half of the 18th century until the mine closed in 1962. Without the mine, the houses and economy of Glenridding and the surrounding area would not have existed.[8]

Ullswater Steamers

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Glenridding is home to the Ullswater 'Steamers', a leisure boat trip company which operates five vessels from the pier at Glenridding. The company was founded to provide a transport link for goods from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge and onwards to Penrith.

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The village and surrounding area was used to film the TV drama series The Lakes, and has also featured in a scene in Coronation Street.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The Brittonic Language in the Old North" (PDF). Scottish Place Name Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Derivation of the names of Lake District Towns". Lakeland Memories. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  3. ^ Watson, Leon; Clarke-Billings, Lucy (10 December 2015). "Cumbria floods: Glenridding flooded as river bursts its banks". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Storm Desmond: Rain causes further Cumbria flooding". BBC News. 10 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  5. ^ Quinn, Ben (10 December 2015). "Cumbrian village deals with more devastation as river bursts banks again". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Helvellyn Triathlon | TriHard Events". Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Lake District National Park - Ullswater Information Centre at Glenridding". Lake District National Park Authority. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  8. ^ * Murphy, Samuel (1996). Grey Gold. Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire: Moiety. ISBN 0952636077.
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