Ever since its ‘discovery’ in the eighteenth century, the English Lake District has been identified as a unique landscape which deserves the highest level of protection.
Established in 1934, Friends of the Lake District is one of the most influential conservation groups in England. It played a crucial role in the campaign for the Lake District to be designated as a national park during the 1930s and 1940s; its work to protect and increase knowledge of this area continues to the present day. Friends of the Lake District: the early years is the first detailed study of the inception of this organisation, and was commissioned to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of its foundation.
John Cousins traces the complex history of the Friends of the Lake District in the vitally important period which culminated in the official recognition of the true value of this area. His discussion and analysis of the characters and events which shaped this time are enhanced by a foreword by Lord Judd, President of Friends of the Lake District, and an introductory essay by two noted landscape historians, Dr Alan G. Crosby and Dr Angus J.L. Winchester, which places the work of the Friends of the Lake District in the context of the wider history of the region.
Lavishly illustrated, this book draws on a range of original source material, including a unique collection of photographs commissioned by Friends of the Lake District in the mid 1930s, many of which are being published for the first time.
- Softback
- Full colour cover, 61 b/w figures
- ISBN: 978-1-86220-223-8
- 148pp plus xx
- Price: £12.95 (plus p+p) NOW REDUCED TO £5 (plus p+p)