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.
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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!
We've created a new 2024 'Dark Skies room brochure' for hotel and B&B guests to encourage them to step outside, look up and be wowed by how many stars they can see. Read more
To celebrate our starry skies and help protect and improve our view of the stars, we're inviting residents and visitors in Cumbria to be ‘citizen scientists’ and take part in a Cumbria Star Count 2024 – a cosmic census that will help map our view of the stars and the impact of light pollution. Read more
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
A magical Dark Skies Night Walk in Holme Wood with talk, poetry, sounds and silence, light and darkness, and songs. 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
The results of this year’s Star Count, released today by CPRE, reveals light pollution blocks three-quarters of UK residents view of the night sky, with only five percent of people enjoying the wonder of a truly dark starry sky. Read more
A short film of our Big Switch Off event in Ambleside and Grasmere - to save energy and see more stars. Residents and businesses took part by turning off their own lights, along with over 200 street lights switched off by Cumbria County Council on the night. Read more
We welcome the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee looking into the effects of artificial light on human health. We look forward to the Committee’s forthcoming report, which will inform our future joint working with Defra on tackling light pollution. Read more
The third Ambleside and Grasmere Big Switch Off took place on Thursday evening. Although cloud cover spoilt views of the stars, many businesses, organisations and residents turned off their lights, and over 200 street lights were switched off by Cumbria County Council. Read more