County Dossier
Westmorland
A northern county of fells, lakes and valleys.
Westmorland is a mountainous county in north-west England, encompassing some of the Lake District’s most celebrated landscapes.
At a glance
Westmorland at a glance
A northern county of fells, lakes and valleys.
- Land of the Western Moors
- Formed from Appleby and Kendal Baronies
- Borders Four other Counties
- Area: 785 sq miles
- Population: 87,466
- County Top: Helvellyn
County Geography
Westmorland meets Cumberland to the north, Durham and Yorkshire to the east, and Lancashire to the south and west.
The Eamont and Eden country shape the north, Stainmore and the Pennine heights close the east, the Lune and Kent valleys fall away to the south, and Windermere with the western fells mark much of the west. The county’s long north-south form follows the grain of its dales rather than any single open plain.
Westmorland is held together by its valley system. The Eden, Kent, Lune, and Lowther corridors provide the movement lines between fells, market towns, and passes, while the uplands give the county a compact frame.
Later changes in public administration did not alter that structure. The same valleys, dales, and fell barriers still describe Westmorland as a single county geography.
Map Reference
View Westmorland on the map
Westmorland is the county. The map also shows lieutenancies and council areas that use the county name.
The county.
The lieutenancy.
Council areas.
Places and routes
Appleby-in-Westmorland, Kendal, Kirkby Stephen, Shap, and Ambleside belong to the county’s story, alongside the Westmorland Dales, the upper Eden, the Kent valley, the Lune headwaters, and the eastern fell country.
Connections
Movement through Westmorland followed the Eden, Kent, Lune, and Lowther valleys, with crossings at Shap and approaches over Stainmore linking Appleby, Kendal, and the smaller upland settlements. Those corridors made the county function as a connected upland unit.
Names
- Westmorland
- County of Westmorland
County of Westmorland is the formal historical style used alongside Westmorland. The name reflects the county’s long association with upland and moorland country.
Formed in the thirteenth century from older baronial lands around Appleby and Kendal, Westmorland retained its identity as one geographic county, with its valleys and fells still giving it a clear structure.
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County Reference
Explore Westmorland
Open the map to explore Westmorland, or return to the county index to browse other counties.