Who is in the partnership? Expand The scheme is being delivered by a partnership of organisations including Friends of the Lake District (the lead partner), the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (the accountable body), the CLA, Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Geoconservation, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Eden District Council, Eden Rivers Trust, Electricity Northwest, the Farmer Network, Lunesdale Archaeology Society, Natural England, the Woodland Trust and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. Many other organisations, community groups, schools, farmers, landowners and individuals have been involved in the development of the scheme and will be involved in the delivery of individual projects. The partner organisations and representatives from the community will sit on a Partnership Board, which will take a strategic overview of the scheme’s delivery, helping to ensure that its targets are met and that the benefits to the local heritage, people and communities are maximised.
Why is the partnership and scheme needed? Expand In 1947, the National Parks Committee chaired by Sir Arthur Hobhouse changed the way we view our landscapes forever. Out of their landmark report (the Hobhouse report) came the creation of Britain’s first national parks. Their purpose was to recognise and conserve, but also increase access to landscapes deemed to be ‘of national importance and quality’. However, the Westmorland Dales/Orton Fells were left out of the creation of Britain’s first national parks through a fluke of administration. Thus this nationally acclaimed landscape became hidden for the next 50 years, overshadowed by its neighbours The Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. In 2005 Friends of the Lake District published its ‘forgotten landscapes’ report. The purpose was to gain national park status for the Westmorland Dales (including the Orton Fells and northern Howgills). Natural England assessed the case and following extensive public consultation agreed the special qualities and recreational assets of the area still warranted National Park status 50 years on. In 2012 a legal Order was issued, to include these Westmorland Dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and a public inquiry held in 2013. In October 2015 we heard that the Orders have been confirmed and the area of the Westmorland Dales would become part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park on 1 Aug 2016.
What does the partnership aim to do? Expand Our vision is to reveal and protect the hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales, enabling more people to connect with, enjoy and benefit from this inspirational landscape. Our scheme will reveal the hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales; a remote and beautiful limestone landscape, historically much travelled, but rarely explored. We will unlock and reveal the rich heritage of the area, encouraging people to linger and connect with this inspirational landscape. We will ensure that the exceptional natural and cultural heritage of the area is recorded, interpreted, conserved and managed appropriately, providing an essential foundation for the “new” National Park. We will bring together communities, farmers and businesses, facilitating a holistic approach to land management and a stronger socio-economic base benefitting the future care and conservation of the area. We will share the distinctiveness of this special place with visitors, ensuring that our legacy is a place where people linger, learn and return. The legacy of the scheme will be maintaining this unique landscape, its quiet and unspoilt nature. It will provide skills and training for the local community so they can help bring their heritage into better condition. It will provide resources and encourage tourism businesses to make the most of their unique ‘sense of place’. Working through partnership this scheme will provide the building block for the next stage of the future of the area – as it is revealed through National Park status. Our scheme has four overarching objectives which build upon our vision: Revealing the area’s hidden heritage; Conserving what makes the area special; Engaging people in enjoying and benefitting from their heritage Sustaining the benefits of the scheme in the long-term
What projects will you run? Expand Our projects are grouped into three areas of work broadly relating to the themes of natural heritage (5 projects), cultural heritage (10 projects) and connecting heritage (6 projects). They will be delivered by a range of organisations working in partnership with landowners, volunteers, community groups and others. Natural heritage Revealing the Foundations – The designation and conservation of key geological sites throughout the Westmorland Dales, the interpretation of its geology through a range of media, and engagement with schools and the wider public. Conserving Species-rich Grasslands – The conservation of species-rich grassland in the Westmorland Dales area of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The engagement of others in their conservation process and increasing their appreciation, enjoyment and understanding of the habitat. Reconnecting Woods, Trees and People – The creation of new woodland and hedgerows, the planting of individual trees and restoration of existing treed habitats to increase the habitat connectivity and create a resilient landscape in the Westmorland Dales. Changing the Course, Slowing the Flow – The restoration of reaches of both Scandal Beck and the River Lyvennet for the benefit of people and wildlife. Working with and through natural processes to improve habitats and slow the flow in the upper catchment, alleviating flood risk downstream in more populous areas. Sustaining Farming in the Westmorland Dales – Building the capacity of the farming community to enable their businesses to continue to sustain the rich cultural heritage of the area and communicate how they manage the landscape to members of the public. Cultural heritage Great Asby Scar Archaeology Survey – Community archaeology survey across an area of upland rough grazing and limestone pavement at Great Asby Scar. Little Asby through the Keyhole – Community archaeological excavations at Little Asby Common Digging the Past – Community-based test pitting project within a historic village settlement. The project will raise awareness and interest in local history, build links to the past and bring together different generations to share an appreciation in local history and to gain skills. Gamelands Stone Circle – Undergrounding intrusive overhead electricity wires so as to improve visual amenity in and around Gamelands Stone Circle, a prehistoric scheduled monument. Geophysical and other surveys to enhance understanding of its archaeological context. Dry Stone Walls – Historical and condition survey of dry stone walls throughout the project area. Seek to understand the narrative of enclosure through the patterns of the field walls. Consolidation of priority lengths of wall. Traditional Farm Buildings – The survey, recording and interpretation of traditional farm buildings in the Westmorland Dales. Conservation work on a number of key buildings under threat. Small-scale Heritage Features – A community small-scale heritage features survey of 7 settlements will be carried out to inform records, interpretation and restoration. Our Common Heritage – The project will observe, record and celebrate common land, commoners and commoning in the area. It will record the unique history of this type of land and farming, and culminate in a celebration of the area’s common land and commoners. Monuments at Risk – Conservation project undertaking works to protect some of the most vulnerable heritage sites in the project area including Pendragon Castle, Smardale Lime Kilns, Crosby Ravensworth Barrow and Shieling. A Way Through – The exploration of routes through the Westmorland Dales which people and animals have used for thousands of years, and the physical and cultural marks they have left. The sharing of the story with the wider public Connecting heritage Love Your Landscape – A small grants scheme for voluntary and community groups, landowners, farmers, schools and local councils to reveal, conserve, enhance, celebrate and raise awareness of the unique landscape of the Westmorland Dales. Skills for the Future – Nine work-based apprenticeships in environmental management and cultural heritage conservation plus certificated vocational training. It will provide the opportunity for young people to conserve special features of their local area and deliver substantial heritage and conservation gains during the lifetime of the project. Discovering the Westmorland Dales – Improvement of the condition and infrastructure of the rights of way network in the Westmorland Dales, and the promotion of opportunities for quiet recreation as a means of exploring the area. Creation of a bridleway link between the Pennine Bridleway and Eden Valley Loops, and the extension of the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway. Distinctly Westmorland Dales – Work with local tourism businesses in the Westmorland Dales area to help them to promote and encourage enjoyment and understanding of the Westmorland Dales’ unique character and hidden heritage. Interpreting the Westmorland Dales – A coordinated approach to interpreting the Westmorland Dales and its heritage, using a variety of media to engage local people and visitors in understanding and appreciating what makes the area special. Celebrating and Engaging – A programme of individual projects and complementary range of structured community engagement activities that will add value to and underpin individual projects. The coordination of volunteering opportunities, an artistic engagement programme and landscape-related learning opportunities.
How is the work being funded? Expand The scheme is grant funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through its Landscape Partnership programme. Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund has said, Our historic landscapes are incredibly important to people’s wellbeing and need to be protected. Some of the landscapes we are funding today are in the most remote parts of the UK; others form an important backdrop to some of our largest cities. What they all have in common is the potential to make people’s lives better, which is why they are so richly deserving of National Lottery money. A grant of £224,200 was awarded by HLF in November 2016 to enable Friends of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and partners to develop their detailed plans for a Round 2 bid for the scheme’s delivery. This development phase has been completed and the Round 2 bid was submitted to HLF for a further grant of £2.27m in September 2018. In December 2018 we heard that this application was successful, helping fund a scheme worth £3.45m, including cash match funding and volunteer time.