COULD Carlisle Castle become Mayfair or Coniston Water the renowned Water Works of the Monopoly board?

Perhaps there could be a home for the world-famous World of Beatrix Potter, Carlisle Airport, Derwentwater or maybe Muncaster Castle.

A vision for a special edition of Monopoly - inspired by the Lake District - was unveiled yesterday.

As the firm behind the famous brand puts the finishing touches to its ideas, it is looking for places in and around the national park that could feature on its board, taking place of the likes of Park Lane.

And that’s where the people of Cumbria are poised to play a critical part in deciding which locations people will pass on their way to collecting £200 - or heading straight to jail.

“We expect to be wonderfully spoilt for choice putting this game together,” says George Shrimpton, of Winning Moves UK, who are producing this board under official license from Monopoly owners, Hasbro.

He added: “The game will feature the great and the good of The Lakes. We are extremely excited to be producing it.

“We looked at very many national parks across the UK and The Lakes was the clear winner.

“We wanted to select a game that celebrates the very Best of Britain.

“More than 12 million people visit The Lakes every year so we expect the game to be a world seller.

“We invite organisations and businesses that want to star in the game to contact us direct – and also from the public as to what Lakes favourites and landmarks should feature on the key showcase spaces like Mayfair and Park Lane.

“The board is a blank canvas at the moment and we are looking and appealing predominantly for The Lakes landmarks.

“However, any Lakes connections down to Lancaster in the south and Carlisle in the north will be very seriously considered.

“The game is a celebration of The Lakes.”

The edition will be themed in sets: From tourism to heritage, hotels to business and leisure to shopping.

Promoters say there may even be a Wordsworth set, inspired by renowned Lakes poet William Wordsworth - whose Wordsworth House in Cockermouth may even be among the contenders for a square on the board.

Next April, at about the time the new game will be out, it will be the 250th anniversary of Wordsworth’s birth. A Wordsworth set could even point to a daffodil field where he ‘wandered as a cloud’.

The Lakes edition will see:

n About 30 Lakes landmarks replacing the famous London spaces and streets. Each will get to feature on their very own prime Monopoly real estate.

n Chance and Community Chest cards – these will be themed too. One could even send players to the neighbouring Yorkshire Dales instead of the Monopoly jail.

n Tokens; Out go the classics such as the top hat, ship and boot, which are literally being given the boot for this edition. In will come iconic themed Lakes ones - a boat or walking boot, maybe.

The Lakes edition is not the first version of Monopoly in which Cumbria has been the star. A Carlisle-themed game was released in 2007 and was a keenly sought item for board game collections for families in and around the city.

The inclusion of the Lakes comes amid continually high visitor levels across the district and as the area continues to shine brightly on the global stage in the wake of being named as a United Nations World Heritage Site - the same status enjoyed by Hadrian’s Wall.

The profile brought by the development has been welcomed by Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, who said: “The Lake District and county of Cumbria is such an iconic and internationally known holiday destination.

“It’s completely fitting then that perhaps the world’s best known family game should have chosen us as the location for its latest version of the game.

“It will mean families and friends will be able to relive their experiences of visiting, or be inspired to visit, by playing a game that celebrates many of the area’s most celebrated assets.”

n Send suggestions for landmarks, cards and tokens for the new game to TheLakes@winningmoves.co.uk, via the official The Lakes Monopoly Edition Facebook page or to The Lakes Edition of Monopoly, Winning Moves UK, 7 Praed Street, London W2 1NJ. Polls opened yesterday and remain open for one month, closing at 23.59pm on October 16.