The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme ran from March 2019 to February 2024. Its vision was to unlock and reveal the hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales, enabling more people to connect with, enjoy and benefit from this inspirational landscape.
Download the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme Summary Report for an overview of the Scheme's successes.
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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:
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 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)
Welcome to our Autumn Newsletter. The highlight of the last few months was our event at Shap Wells Hotel celebrating what has been achieved over the last four and a half years but project work has continued on the ground too with drystone wall training for Kendal College students. Read more
Summer events kick off at the beginning of July with National Meadows Day at Bowber Head, We hold our volunteer get-together on 12th July, our Common Heritage Exhibition moves to a new home in Appleby and we'll be at this year's Westmorland Dales Festival running a free classic coach tour of the area. Read more
Although we’re starting to think about our legacy there’s still plenty to enjoy and be involved with over the coming months. Our Landscape Forum this year takes place in April, Our Common Heritage Exhibition is at Shap later in the spring, and we have a whole series of events on the theme of wool. We've a volunteer get-together in July and our Final Celebration event will be in September. Read more
It’s been a very wet winter to date so it’s brilliant to have one of the illustrations from our 'Legends' project to brighten the start of the newsletter. Pictured: The hare leading the Hunt a merry dance across Loupsfell and down the Tebay Gorge, past the burial place of The Mighty Bo where the fairies dance by the light of the moon!😊 Read more
Welcome to the autumn newsletter of the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme after what has been an almost perfect summer. It’s the first time we’ve really been able to fulfil a full programme of events, activities and projects, minimally disrupted by Covid and bad weather Read more
Welcome to the summer newsletter of the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme, in what promises to be a defining year for us. Despite some ongoing challenges with Covid and the weather, there really is an enormous amount happening at the moment as we catch up on things that have been delayed. Read more
News and events from the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership team. Landscape Forum 2022, Planetariums, Twigwams, Chainsaws, Webinars, Wild Play Days, Volunteering, Hedge Laying and lots more as 2022 gets off to a flying start. Read more
News and events from the brilliant Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership team. The latest project updates, new apprentices, events, webinars, grants and geo-trails Read more
News and events from the brilliant Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership team. Featuring Debbie North who is producing 'Accessible Westmorland Dales', a film aimed at encouraging those with a disability or a long term illness to get outside in the local area and enjoy its heritage and health benefits. Read more
As spring turns into summer there is plenty on offer for you to get involved with. Heritage Talks, Westmorland Dales Walks, Marvellous Meadow events and archaeology projects taking place across the Westmorland Dales. Read more
As we emerge from a proper winter into spring, with longer and warmer days, and the promise of light at the end of our pandemic tunnel! Although spring is to be cherished I always feel slightly sad as winter fades with its bare trees silhouetted against clear skies and the bare bones of the landscape revealed. Read more
Autumn dominates this edition. An image of Mallerstang Edge and Wild Boar Fell in November light heads up this edition and a school arts project celebrates the Westmorland Dales using natural materials to create amazing art pieces full of autumn colour. Read more
The apprentice team have been back working from Tebay starting with some fantastic improvements to the area around our building. We’ve received our first bids for our 'Love Your Landscape' grants for community projects. We're sharing some wonderful films to help you identify wildflowers and much much more... Read more
We’ve secured joint office and workshop premises on the banks of the River Lune at Tebay. And we’ve developed a strong partnership, which is critical to the successful delivery of our 21 projects. Read more
Kirkby Stephen Primary’s year 5 & 6 tree planting at Scandal Beck Landscape pictured. Read more
The new apprentice team, employed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, has already made a very positive impression and has added some youthful energy to the core team, employed by Friends of the Lake District. Read more
In this edition: Magical Meadows, Westmorland Team moves to Tebay, Volunteering Opportunities, Discovering Westmorland Dales, What's On, Skills for the Future, Our 21 Scheme Projects Read more
It’s great news. The development phase is over. The Round 2 bid was submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in September 2018 and in December we heard that the application was successful. We can now start to deliver this exciting scheme worth £3.45m Read more
Dark skies, Landscape Forum, Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, Mapping Your Valued Places and our Final Grant submission Read more
Dark Skies Winter Celebration, Spring Heritage Workshops, Westmorland Dales Drop In Session, Westmorland Dales Landscape Forum and Mapping Your Valued Places Read more
Welcome to the first edition of this newsletter which has been produced to give you an update on the Heritage Lottery funded Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscapes Partnership Scheme. Read more