Bassenthwaite Lake Bassenthwaite Lake Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest water bodies in the English Lake District. It is long and narrow, approximately long and wide, but is also extremely shallow, with a maximum depth of about . It is the only body of water in the Lake District to use the word ""lake"" in its name, all the others being ""waters"" (for example, Derwentwater), ""meres"" (for example, Windermere) or ""tarns"" (for example, Dock Tarn). It is fed by, and drains into, the River Derwent. The lake lies at the foot of Skiddaw, near the town of Keswick. Some maps dating
Lady of the Lake end of the bargain; she asks for the head of Sir Balin, who she blames for her brother's death. Arthur refuses this request, and Balin beheads her instead, much to Arthur's distress. The second Lady of the Lake is sometimes referred to by her title and sometimes referred to by name. That name has several variations. In William Caxton's text of "Le Morte d'Arthur", her name appears as "Nymue", "Nyneue" and "Nynyue"; in the Winchester MS, her name appears as "Nynyve" and "Nenyve". Even though "Nymue," with the "m", appears only in the Caxton text, it is perhaps the most