Enjoy the peaceful surroundings of Longlands Lake.  Through sensitive management the lake is now haven for wildlife of all kinds.  There are many types of wildflowers, which are at their best in early summer.  

The combination of open water, the confluence of the Rivers Ehen and Keekle, herb-rich grassland, gorse scrub and broadleaved woodland invites a wide range of bird species. 

The circular walk around the Lake is about one mile long, wheelchair accessible and designed with people with limited mobility in mind. 

 The Countryside Access team in Cumbria County Council have made Longlands Lake the first of their "Miles without Stiles" routes. 

The ''Miles without Stiles" web site details information about distances, slopes and any gates or gaps that you will come across and is at http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/index/enjoying/miles_without_stiles.htm

History of the site

The lake itself is a on the site of the former Longlands iron ore mine that first produced ore in 1879 from four pits and was flooded in the 1930s.

West Cumbria haematite was particularly valued because of its high metal content (51% on average at Longlands)however, by 1924 the mines had been abandoned.

In 1939 the mines started to subside and flood the area creating Longlands Lake. Longlands was acquired by Cumbria County Council in 1980

Fishing in the Lake

Longlands lake previously know as Brokenlands.

The lake was rented from by Wathbrow and Ennerdale Anglers association, fishing for wild brown trout and eel's and then stocked with rainbow trout and brown trout some time in the 1980's.

The lake is now also stocked with blue trout ranging from 1 ¼ LB to 9 LB, and is stocked once a month with the record trout caught so far being a 11 ¼ LB Rainbow trout grown on due to the high proportion of natural feed in the lake. The fishery is run on a non profit making basis all of the profit from the permit sales are put back as fish into the lake.

The Disabled fishing platform which was recently erected on the lake was kindly funded by the Environment Agency with help from Mothersill Engineering and Eskett quarries providing tools and stone. The platform is wheelchair friendly with access from the car park to the lake.

A license and permit are required to fish the lake, permits are available from Farrens shop Cleator, Udales News agents Cleator Moor and Wathbrow post office where advice and tackle are available from the Club secretary Mr Jimmy O' Neil telephone No 01946-810377.

Directions

There are road signs to Longlands Lake from Cleator on the A5086. On site you will find a parking area near the lake (which includes bays for disabled people) and a picnic area with benches.  

From the car park a foot bridge leads to the Lake.

The gates you will come across are suitable for everyone to access.  

Paths and walks

In addition to the a path which goes round the lake a separate path goes to the remains of an old forge, then on to Dent Fell.

To walk from Egremont start at Chapel Street passing under the bypass and continue behind Briscoe Mount and down the hill to  Briscoe Mill Bridge where the is a kissing gate with a step down and a fingerpost in a patch of brambles.

The walk heads north following the river bank through fields of closely grazed grass. There are open views of the fells, back to the bridge and mill and up to Briscoe Mount.There is a small footbridge over a drainage channel followed by a kissing gate that leads to a narrow path to a bridge over the river and on to the lake.

Cleator

From Longlands Lake car park a footpath continues along the river to Cleator and on to join the coast-to-coast footpath.