Retreat Information - About The Lake District

About the Lake District

The Lake District is a UNESCO world heritage site and a National Park, with stunning countryside, high fells and deep lakes which have been the inspiration for artists, writers and poets for generations. The pastoral landscape has been used predominantly for sheep farming for hundreds of years but is also visited by millions of tourists each year. This beautiful area is mainly made up of small towns and villages which have been built around the many lakes in the region. The road system can be circuituous as it navigates you around the lakes but give yourself plenty of time to travel and enjoy the stunning views as you drive through this awe-inspiring countryside.

Much of the area is owned and managed by the National Trust, a private organisation to which Beatrix Potter bequethed 4000 acres of land and 14 farms on her death. Other noteable residents of and visitors to the Lake District are William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge, John Ruskin, J.M.W. Turner and many more. Here you will also find many sheep - in fact, around six times more sheep than there are people living here! Many of the sheep are local breeds, noteably Herdwick sheep, with their familiar white 'teddy bear' faces and grey bodies.

Within this rural idyll you will find many thriving businesses and local industries. It is in this environment that Susan and Charlie have set up the Assa Marra Wool Studio, in another Lake District village - Staveley. Here is Susan's design studio alongside the hand-dyeing and wool finishing studio. It is here you will also find our charming wool shop where we sell their unique hand-dyed yarns alonside Susan's books and patterns. It is the Lake District landscape that Susan takes her inspiration from for much of her work and particularly for the bespoke projects provided for the retreats.

You can find out more about the Lake District at the official Lake District local government website here.