In a beautiful corner of the Lake District a mysterious creature has been sighted in the water since the 1950s leading to it being dubbed "England's Loch Ness Monster".

       Some believe amidst the swans and pleasure boats of Lake Windermere in Cumbria an as of yet unidentified kraken-like animal may exist beneath the surface.

       The location of the nearest town, Bowness-on-Windermere, and similarities to its more famous Scottish cousin, has led to the monster being given the nickname "Bownessie".

       The BBC reports in the last decade several sightings have been made, including by local Tom Noblett, a world record fresh water swimmer.

       Mr Noblett and celebrity psychic Dean 'Midas' Maynard hunted for the beast in 2010, a search which was prompted when Mr Noblett said he was hit by an unexplained three-foot-high wave while swimming in the lake a year earlier.

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       In 2022, the Daily Star reported a photographer called Linden Adams also claimed to see the creature and captured it on camera. He told the Beastly Theories podcast: "It possibly of resembled a horse type shape head, I've read a lot recently it's described as a labrador-type head.

       "That's pretty much where we're going with this. It was quite boxy looking, wide, solid looking."

       Ten years ago there was another sighting from Matt Benefield, from nearby Ulverston, who visited the lake on a Sunday morning and caught a glimpse of something when he was taking photographs.

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       Speaking to the Westmorland Gazette, Mr Benefield said: “I hadn’t really heard of Bownessie that much previously but I guess it was in the back of my mind when I saw the photo.

       “I’m not saying it is it but I have no idea what it is, I can’t explain it."

       There have been 10 sightings in recent years of something mysterious in the lake, with descriptions in size varying from 30 to 20 foot in length, about the same as large killer whale.

       According to some reports, one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the 'monster' is around the grounds of Wray Castle, which lies on the north-eastern shore of the 11-mile-long lake.