0 s . ▁ ▁Histor ically , ▁Con ist on ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁Lanc ash ire ▁( N orth ▁of ▁the ▁S ands ), ▁until ▁Local ▁Government ▁re organisation ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁when ▁C umb ria ▁was ▁created . ▁ ▁W aters pe ed ▁record ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁Con ist on ▁Water ▁was ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁many ▁attempts ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁world ▁water ▁speed ▁record . ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁August ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁Sir ▁Mal col m ▁Campbell ▁set ▁the ▁record ▁at ▁ 1 4 1 . 7 4 ▁miles ▁per ▁hour ▁() ▁in ▁Blue ▁Bird ▁K 4 . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁Sir ▁Mal col m ' s ▁son ▁Donald ▁Campbell ▁set ▁four ▁success ive ▁records ▁on ▁the ▁lake ▁in ▁Blue bird ▁K 7 , ▁a ▁hydro plane . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁Donald ▁Campbell ▁decided ▁that ▁he ▁needed ▁to ▁exceed ▁ 3 0 0 ▁miles ▁per ▁hour ▁( 4 8 3   km / h ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁retain ▁the ▁record . ▁On ▁ 4 ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁he ▁achieved ▁a ▁top ▁speed ▁of ▁over ▁ 3 2 0 ▁miles ▁per ▁hour ▁() ▁in ▁Blue bird ▁K 7 ▁on ▁the ▁return ▁leg ▁of ▁a ▁record - bre aking ▁attempt . ▁He ▁then ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁Blue bird , ▁which ▁som ers ault ed ▁and ▁crash ed , ▁s inking ▁rapidly ; ▁Campbell ▁was ▁dec