Friends of the Lake District has owned land in Cumbria since 1937. We own land in order to enhance the landscape of the area; carry out practical conservation projects; increase access and model best practice in land management. Our land includes valleys, native woodlands, moorlands, uplands and commons. We encourage you to get out and visit some of these hidden Cumbrian treasures!
We own and manage land across Cumbria and the Lake District. This work is coordinated by our property manager Jan Darrall. Read more about our work in her Land Manager's Diary detailing the amazing work carried out by our volunteers and providing updates on site visits, events and our plans for the future. Read more
Our land includes valleys, native woodlands, moorlands, uplands and commons. We encourage you to get out and visit some of these hidden Cumbrian treasures! Read more
Friends of the Lake District is working with the commoners to enhance the character of this limestone landscape. The area is Open Access Land, so you are free to explore the site. Why not come and see some of the work we are doing? Read more
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 Read more
Situated near Oxenholme, just south east of Kendal, and although not a very high hill at 185m, it gives beautiful views. Read more
In 2017 David Archibald, a long standing member and supporter, contacted us with the offer of a gift of two woods, Bull Coppice and Resp Haw Wood, running down the eastern side of the Rusland Valley and we were delighted to add such magnificent woodland to our portfolio. Read more
We went on a first visit to our now newest property – we are delighted to announce that last week the legal transfer was finalised on land at Middle Bleansley near Broughton in Furness; now our most southerly piece of land. Read more
Through the generosity of Friends of the Lake District members and landowners Bev and Jo Dennison Drake, we have planted a new 7 hectare native wood along Tongue Gill beck, Grasmere. During 2014 we ran an appeal to raise money for trees. Thanks to our members, an incredible £8,626 was raised, adding to the grant we received from the Forestry Commission. Read more
This is a two hectare piece of land gifted to Friends of the Lake District by member and local resident Prof Mike Hambrey. Read more
A small one-and-a-half hectare woodland opposite the University of Cumbria's campus library on Nook Lane in Ambleside containing some large veteran beech and Scots pine trees dating back to the nineteenth century. Read more
Mike’s Wood was created in appreciation of a former Secretary of the Friends, Mike Houston. At the same time as we bought the field to create the wood, local member Anne Beddard bought the field to the south. She worked in conjunction with us to create a new woodland at the same time, and later generously donated this wood, ‘Beddard’s Old Wood’ to us. Read more
Hows Wood is in upper Eskdale and covers 20 acres (8 ha). We bought the wood from the Forestry Commission in 1987 to restore the ancient native woodland and as a way of showcasing the way forward for managing woodlands. Conifers were removed in 1994, dry stone wall boundaries restored to keep out livestock and deer, a Bark Peelers Hut was conserved and a circular walk waymarked. Read more
Sweden Wood is a 2.2ha site, on the north eastern outskirts of Ambleside, just off the popular path up to the beautiful Scandale Valley. It forms part of a wooded valley following Scandale Beck. Read more