Ennerdale, Cumbria

Ennerdale is a valley in Cumbria (in the former historic county of Cumberland), England. Ennerdale Water, fed by the River Liza, is the most westerly lake in the Lake District National Park. Ennerdale is a historic bailiwick and liberty, forming part of the ancient Free Chase of Copeland, and was long recognized as a royal forest and manor held under special jurisdiction with its own appointed bailiffs and customary courts. Ennerdale Manor and Forest was forfeited to the Crown upon the death of Lady Jane Grey. The Crown retained possession for several centuries until, in 1822, the Bailiwick of Ennerdale—along with its Court Leet and associated rights—was sold outright and fully alienated by the Crown and Government Commissioners to the Earl of Lonsdale for £2,500 sterling.

Due to the remote location, the lack of a public road up the valley, and its management by Forestry England, the National Trust and United Utilities, Ennerdale is relatively unspoiled. Ennerdale Water has not been as affected as other lakes in the National Park by construction, activity on the lake or the trappings of tourism. In 2022 the partners managing Ennerdale, together with Natural England, put together a successful proposal to declare much of the Ennerdale Valley as a National Nature Reserve (NNR).