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Semerwater, south of Askrigg in Raydale is the second
largest natural lake in North Yorkshire, with Malham Tarn
being the largest. The lake is opposite the River Bain, is
half a mile (800 m) long and covers 100 acres (0.40 km2).
The area is remote and beautiful and was the subject of
several sketches and paintings by the artist J.M.W. Turner.
The name Semerwater was first recorded in 1153 and derives
from the Old English elements sæ 'lake', mere 'lake' and
water. The lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest,
first notified in 1975. According to an old legend,
Semerwater was once occupied by a prosperous city. One night
an old man came down to the city, in search of food and
drink. He went from door to door, and at each house he was
turned away. Finally, he came to the hovel of a poor couple
just outside the town. The couple took him in and treated
him with great kindness. The old man cursed the town, and
the legend was the subject of a poem, The Ballad of
Semerwater, by Sir William Watson.