Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership

The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme finished in early 2024 with projects successfully delivered by a wide range of project partners, community groups and individuals. Over the coming months, we’ll be updating this site to highlight what’s been achieved, so please keep checking back.

Welcome …

… to the Westmorland Dales website.

The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme aimed to unlock and reveal the hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales, enabling more people to connect with, enjoy and benefit from this inspirational landscape. Specifically, its objectives were to:

Reveal the area’s hidden heritage.
Conserve what makes the area special.
Engage people in enjoying and benefitting from their heritage.
Sustain the benefits of the scheme in the long-term.

This was achieved through a programme of projects developed and delivered through the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership, led by Friends of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, and mainly funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It ran over a five-year period from March 2019 to February 2024.

Here you can discover what makes the area so special, find out about the scheme’s projects, and view and download resources produced.

The Westmorland Dales

The Westmorland Dales is a beautiful area of Cumbria lying north of the Howgill Fells and within the north-west corner of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It stretches from Tebay in the south-west to Kirkby Stephen in the east and to Maulds Meaburn in the north-west. At its heart are the limestone fells above Orton and Asby, rich in natural and cultural heritage, and with magnificent views to the Pennines, the Howgills and the Lakeland fells. It drains into the Lune river catchment to the south and the Eden river catchment to the north. Relatively overlooked compared with its better-known neighbours, our projects have aimed to reveal its heritage for more to enjoy without detracting from its unique qualities. (Click on map for larger image)

Contact information

Friends of the Lake District

Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7SS

Main Telephone: 01539 720788

Email: [email protected]

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Yoredale, Bainbridge, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 3EL

Main Telephone: 01969 652300

Email: [email protected]

2.2 Little Asby Through the Keyhole*

A project on Little Asby Common stretching over two seasons involving Oxford Archaeology North and volunteers, which saw the excavation of keyhole trenches on different sites in the first year, and a focus on one longhouse site and a peat core sample from near Sunbiggin Tarn in the second year.

The aim of the community-based archaeological investigation was to develop an understanding of the rich heritage across Little Asby Common.

The common is grazed by the Asby Commoners Association and is owned by Friends of the Lake District. It is an upland landscape dominated by limestone pavement. This was formed in the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago, when northern England was covered in shallow tropical seas, and limy mud on the sea floor eventually hardened into layers of limestone containing fossils of corals, sponges and brachiopod shells.

Over the last two decades, Friends of the Lake District commissioned Oxford Archaeology North to carry out a number of different surveys across the common. These surveys identified around 200 features, revealing a landscape with considerable time depth. Concentrations of sites were identified as seven survey areas, with further work identified to be delivered through the Westmorland Dales Scheme.

This consisted of two seasons of excavations. The first season (September 2021) involved the excavation of 16 keyhole trenches. These trenches were typically about 1m by 6m in size and investigated a number of features across this landscape. The second season (September 2022) consisted of seven trenches, focusing on one site. In addition, a short transect of six cores were taken in season one through the sediments at the edge of Sunbiggin Tarn. The cores were analysed and the samples dated using carbon 14 techniques.

Despite a relatively poor pollen count from many of the samples it has been possible, in combination with a previous but undated pollen core, to use the available data to interpret a broad outline of palaeoenvironmental changes in this area, which can be linked with the excavation results.

Over the two years, 59 volunteers have been involved, volunteering 264 days and learning archaeological skills.

Project Reports

Little Asby Through The Keyhole SUMMARY Report (pdf)

Little Asby Season 1 Final Report (pdf)

Little Asby Season 2 Final Report (pdf)

Sunbiggin Palaeoenvironmental Assessment Report (pdf)

Pictured: An interpretation of the coaxial field system on Little Asby Common showing both pastoral and arable farming, illustration by James Innerdale.

Latest

23 April 2024: The Helm, paths to summer adventures

We were joined by a big group of volunteers with clippers, loppers and saws this week for bramble, bracken, and gorse management, to keep paths clear and create fire breaks.
Leaders' Landscape Training: The Westmorland Dales: its natural and cultural heritage

The Westmorland Dales has been described as one of the best preserved prehistoric archaeological landscapes north of Salisbury Plain. The landscape has been hugely influenced by the way people have exploited and managed it for thousands of years. The walk will explore this, attempting to decipher the layers in the landscape.
Leaders' Landscape Training: Understanding Tranquillity

Tranquillity is one of many components that come together to create the overall character of a landscape, and it is something that many visitors to the Lake District and Cumbria come to enjoy but it is often misunderstood or not fully understood even by those tasked with protecting it.
Leaders' Landscape Training: The Thirlmere Resilience Project

The Thirlmere catchment, characterised by steep sided, wooded slopes, is an iconic part of the Lake District. A new style of progressive land management around Thirlmere, is balancing the pressures of recreation, farming, and conservation in hostile upland environments.

2.1 Great Asby Scar Archaeology Survey

An archaeological survey of the upland area between Orton and Great Asby, involving consultants Northern Archaeological Associates, volunteers and Lunesdale Archaeology Society, recording hundreds of features from prehistoric times to the 20th Century.
2.3 Digging the Past

Led by the YDNPA historic environment team, assisted by Eden Heritage, the project involved the digging of test pits by volunteers in the village of Ravenstonedale, giving an insight into the medieval and post-medieval development of the village.
2.4 Gamelands Stone Circle

The project comprised the undergrounding of a significant length of overhead wires by Electricity North West; the associated creation of a small car park; and an archaeological survey of the stone circle by YDNPA and volunteers.
2.5 Dry Stone Walls

A project with several parts, the principal one being a volunteer survey of drystone walls in Asby parish, led by David Johnson; the restoration of walls at Pendragon, Raisbeck and Asby; training; and hedge-planting and hedge-laying.
2.6 Traditional Farm Buildings*

A volunteer survey of traditional farm buildings, mainly but not exclusively barns, an important part of the area’s rich built heritage; and the conservation of two typical barns, one at Pendragon, the other at Raisbeck.
2.7 Small-scale Heritage Features*

A survey of all the key settlements, led by the cultural heritage trainee, engaging local volunteers to record features like churn stands, gate stoops and date stones which help give the area its distinctive character.
2.8 Our Common Heritage

An oral history project, which engaged volunteers in recording the memories of local farming families of the commons and how they were farmed, resulting in an archive of recordings and an exhibition which has toured the area.
2.9 Monuments at Risk

The project, led by the YDNPA historic environment team, focussed on two local monuments. It saw the excavation of a sow kiln at Pendragon castle, dating back to when the castle was first built, and a major conservation project on the 19th Century limekilns at Smardale, stabilising the structure and removing it from the “At Risk” register.
2.10 A Way Through (from Roman Roads to M6)

An interpretive project looking at the way people have travelled through and left their mark on the area from prehistoric times to the present day, with a series of website blogs, a pack of village heritage walks leaflets and posters.

Volunteering

Learn new skills and join our army of volunteers helping us to make a practical difference to the Lake District all year round.
Join Today

Play your part in protecting the Lake District by becoming a member today.
Our Purpose

We are an independent charity and the only membership organisation dedicated to protecting and enhancing Cumbria's landscapes for future generations
Elterwater Quarry Adventure Attraction plans resubmitted

Just before Christmas, revised proposals were submitted for a visitor attraction at Elterwater Quarry. We have reviewed the plans, we remain opposed to the scheme, and you can read our formal response here.
The Helm

Situated near Oxenholme, just south east of Kendal, and although not a very high hill at 185m, it gives beautiful views.
It's Time To Save Roanhead - Response Guidance

A NEW planning application has been submitted for the major resort development proposed at Roanhead. It will still have a huge impact on this sensitive coastline, even with a reduced number of lodges. Please join us again to challenge the proposal. Previous responses won't count and new responses need to reflect latest plans.
Aerial Flight at Honister Slate Mine

We received the disappointing news that the Secretary of State will not ‘call in’ the proposed zip-wires at Honister and so the Authority’s approval stands. The Secretary of State is no longer required to give reasons for his decision.
Why become a member?

Love the Lake District? Become a member of Friends of the Lake District and join thousands of people enjoying and protecting it.
What are the disadvantages of being in a National Park?
High Borrowdale

High Borrowdale is situated 8.5 miles north of Kendal. The best way to access it is from the A6, south of Shap. There is open access at all times. Take a VIRTUAL TOUR