Cumbria's dark skies allow us to see the natural wonder of the stars, but are also critical for the health wildlife and our own natural well-being. Sadly light pollution in Cumbria is increasing each year, threatening to obscure our view of the stars and blinding and confusing animals so they can’t feed or find a mate. We need urgent action now to stop light pollution. Stargazers, photographers, wildlife lovers and local communities… please help.
Or you can give by text to 70085. Just message DARKSKIES along with your chosen donation amount (eg DARKSKIES 5 to donate £5). Standard message rates apply.
The Lake District and Cumbria offers some of the most spectacular and precious skyscapes in England and we want you to join us on an interstellar adventure. Download our Dark Sky Discovery Pack and get started today!
Our good lighting guide produced jointly with a lighting designer launches and has already won two national awards! Providing technical lighting guidance to planners, it will also help anyone installing or replacing lighting to make good lighting choices. Read more
A talk to the Institution for Lighting Professionals' Annual Summit. Our Dark Skies Officer shares fresh approaches to tackling light pollution, planning guidance, monitoring, and inspiring communities to take action. Read more
Cumberland Council in partnership with lighting company DW Windsor has installed dark skies and wildlife sensitive lighting across the busiest road crossing the river Eden in Carlisle. Read more
Rookhow, an 18th Century Grade II listed Quaker Meeting House in the Rusland valley, contacted the Dark Skies Cumbria Project seeking help to choose sympathetic external lighting. Read more
More Kendal residents, inspired by the growing awareness of the impacts of light pollution, have replaced their outdoor lighting with dark skies friendly lighting. Read more
Working with five different sized communities across Cumbria, we commissioned lighting designers Cundalls to carry out town and village lighting audits to assess light pollution levels and identify the most significant sources of light pollution. Read more
We are working with the County Council and Thorn Lighting to install new Dark Skies and wildlife friendly road lighting across Cumbria. A short film featuring some of the work so far. Read more
Five Dark Skies and wildlife friendly road lights have been installed in Lorton, in the north west of the Lake District National Park as part of a new pilot scheme. Read more
‘Craftivist’ Danielle helped inspire an outdoor art trail to raise awareness about light pollution during Chorlton Arts Festival in September. She produced a beautifully illustrated and fact-packed light pollution awareness handbook ‘Blinded by the Light’ Read more
Examples of 'good practice' Read more
Light polluting footway lights along Cliff Terrace on Low Fellside, Kendal have been replaced with the Town’s first Dark Skies and Wildlife friendly heritage-style lights. Read more
Board Policy on the Application of Lighting Principles Adopted January 28, 2021 Read more
In February, we assembled a diverse, knowledgeable and passionate field of lighting experts to shed light on the burning issues you need advice on at a zoom event. Recording now available to watch here. Read more
Want to protect the night from light pollution? Step-by-step guide Read more
Watch our outdoor lighting slideshow. Read more
A few pointers on how you can reduce the impact that your outdoor lighting has on Dark Skies in Cumbria Read more