Historic county of England
Westmorland
Eden, Kent and Lune between Lakeland fells and Pennine heights.
Westmorland is a county held together by valleys. In the north-east the Eden runs through broad green country around Appleby-in-Westmorland and Kirkby Stephen. Southwards, the Kent provides the natural route through Kendal towards Morecambe Bay, while the upper Lune cuts between the Howgills and the western fells.
To the west lie some of the Lake District’s best-known mountains and waters. These landscapes can appear divided by high ground until the river corridors are understood. Westmorland is a county of dales first and peaks second: the valleys explain how its mountain country fits together.
- Land of the Western Moors
- Formed from Appleby and Kendal Baronies
- Area: 785 sq miles
- Population: 87,466
- Borders Four other Counties
- County Top: Helvellyn
County geography
Current Census
Contemporary Census profile
England and Wales Census 2021. Detailed contemporary statistics are available in the Geographic County Census Explorer.
- Population density
- 112.7 people per sq mi (43.5 people per km²)
- Population
- 88,587
Lakeland and the Westmorland Dales
Western Westmorland contains celebrated Lake District landscapes including Windermere, Grasmere and Rydal Water. East of the Lune Gorge lies another upland world of Howgills, limestone country, Lunesdale and Mallerstang.
Together they give Westmorland two very different mountain landscapes within the same county.
The Eden country
The Vale of Eden opens through the north-east between the Westmorland uplands and the Pennines. Its broader agricultural landscape is markedly different from Lakeland further west.
That contrast — lake country, high passes, limestone dales and open Eden valley — gives Westmorland its exceptional variety.
County questions
Questions about Westmorland
Did Westmorland disappear when Cumbria was created in 1974?
No. Westmorland remains the geographic county. What changed was local administration: a new local-government area called Cumbria was created across several geographic counties.
Is Westmorland and Furness the same thing as Westmorland?
No. Westmorland is the geographic county. Westmorland and Furness is a council area crossing territory belonging to Westmorland, Cumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
County record
Names and continuity
- Formal name
- County of Westmorland
- County day
- 29 September
- Foundation
- 1226-1227
Westmorland and County of Westmorland are forms of the county name. Its Eden, Kent and Lune valleys continue to give coherence to a landscape divided visually by some of England’s highest country.