Posted by Robert Dilley on January 28, 2005 at 19:10:51 from 65.39.13.235 user rdilley.
In Reply to: Re: What is your favourite Ransome illustration ? posted by Robert Hill on January 28, 2005 at 17:42:45:
At Brockhole (Park HQ on Windermere) the driest month (on average) is June (3.6 in) followed closely by April and May (3.7 in). August is significantly higher (5.7 in). January is worst (8.5 in).
At Keswick May is actually the lowest (3.2 in) with August at 5.1 in.
Keeping the pedant's licence in order, I still insist the wettest place (inhabited place) is Seathwaite, not Seatoller (I have checked several books and several websites and all agree on this) though as they are only a mile apart this may be true pedantry.
May is also the best time to be in Seathwaite -- only 6.8 in (11.1 in August and 16.0 in January). "Popular" sources cite 120 in total for Seathwaite, which is what I had remembered. More precise figures range around 130 in (129.9 on one internet source; 131.6 in the New Naturalist's Lake District volume.)
According to the National Park leaflet on Weather and Climate (it gives its own conversions into SI, which I am too lazy to do):
"Keswick has 51 in (1295 mm), while Seathwaite Farm, only 8 miles (13 km) away, has 129 in (3277 mm) and is the wettest inhabited place in Britain. The wettest area in England is round Esk Hause. It had 250 in (6350 mm) in 1928, though its average is about 170 in (4318 mm), much the same as Llyn Llydaw [Wales] and Glen Garry Head [Scotland]."
So, given the choice, go in May, not August.