New research has named the Lake District as one of the top UK literary locations outside London.

Holiday lettings company holidaycottages.co.uk analysed areas across the UK on factors such as number of bookstores, literary festivals, books set in the location and number of authors who were born, who lived, or worked there.

The Lake District was placed ninth in the top ten, which is great although perhaps seems a little low bearing in mind the area has strong connections with famous writers like William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, Arthur Ransome and Samuel Coleridge.

But, of course, the Lakes is relatively sparsely-populated, so, for example, there will never be as many bookstores here as in places like Edinburgh or Manchester, which ranked higher.

Thankfully literary and other creative talent continues to flourish in this part of the world. Last week’s The Westmorland Gazette, for example, highlighted 21-year-old poet Matt Sowerby, from Kirkby Lonsdale, who created a festival for people who thought ‘poetry wasn’t for them’.

The festival hosted top acts from across the country, who performed in different venues in Matt’s home town.

Meanwhile playwright Caroline Lamb, who grew up in Grange-over-Sands and Sedbergh and went to sixth form in Kirkby Lonsdale, has won the Manchester Off West End ‘Offie’ award for her play On Me. It was also shortlisted for best play at Manchester Fringe and received excellent reviews from its run in London.

Musically, one of this area’s major music stars, saxophonist Jess Gillam from Ulverston, presented a show featuring legendary conductor Marin Alsop on the BBC Proms stage at the Royal Albert Hall, which was aired on BBC 4 last weekend.

And this area showed it is a magnet for top-quality musical talent as the Lake District Summer Music festival enjoyed its 37th years of bringing music to Cumbria.

LDSM played in venues such as The Dock Museum in Barrow, Ambleside Parish Church and the garden of Wordsworth’s home in Rydal Mount.

It included performances by acclaimed acts such as the Northern Symphonia, Ulverston pianist Martin Roscoe and violinist Esther Abrami.

Long may the creative spirit in Cumbria continue.