UK Nature and Environment

Celebrated by William Wordsworth, Windermere has long epitomised the natural timeless beauty of the Lake District, with millions of tourists drawn to the shores that inspired the poet. But today England’s biggest lake is, some campaigners say, a shadow of its 19th century self: its waters blighted by algae and its wildlife threatened by pollution, in a symbol of all that is wrong with the privatised water industry.

This month the environment secretary, Steve Reed, vowed to break with the recent past, standing on its shores and promising that Labour would “clean up Windermere”. The lake is showing the impact of sewage pollution from United Utilities treatment plants and increased pressure from climate change-induced temperature rises.

Reed’s promise was welcomed as a historic moment by Matt Staniek, a campaigner who has almost singlehandedly brought the lake’s plight to national consciousness. But Staniek, who formed the group Save Windermere, added that it was just the beginning of the mission to save the lake.