Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership


The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme finished in early 2024 with projects successfully delivered by a wide range of project partners, community groups and individuals. Over the coming months, we’ll be updating this site to highlight what’s been achieved, so please keep checking back.

Welcome …

… to the Westmorland Dales website.

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:

  • Reveal the area’s hidden heritage.
  • Conserve what makes the area special.
  • Engage people in enjoying and benefitting from their heritage.
  • Sustain the benefits of the scheme in the long-term.

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

The Westmorland Dales is a beautiful area of Cumbria lying to the north of the Howgill Fells and located 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)

Contact information

Friends of the Lake District
Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7SS
Main Telephone:  01539 720788
 Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Yoredale, Bainbridge, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 3EL
Main Telephone:  01969 652300

Unveiling the Westmorland Dales

8th March 2017

‘Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscapes’ is an exciting project which will reveal the spectacular but hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales and encourage those journeying through the area to linger and discover more about its rich heritage, internationally recognised geological sites and its spectacular wildlife. It’s an area that boasts 79 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, 19 sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s) and two National Nature Reserves.

A development grant of £317,204, awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Landscape Partnership (LP)¹ programme has given the Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscapes Partnership the green light to develop a joint plan to deliver these aims across an area extending over 200 sq km from Maulds Meaburn in the north to Tebay in the south-west and Ravenstonedale in the south-east. The area forms part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park following the extension to park boundaries in August 2016 although still lying within the county of Cumbria.

The project has three main aims.

  • To unlock and reveal the rich, spectacular, but hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales.
  • To conserve and enhance the forgotten landscape and heritage of the Westmorland Dales ensuring that the landscape is protected and cherished; in so doing to provide a strong foundation for the “new” National Park.
  • To provide opportunities for those journeying through the Westmorland Dales to linger in the landscape and learn about its rich cultural and natural heritage.

David Evans, newly appointed project development officer at Friends of the Lake District who are acting as lead body on behalf of the partnership said,

 “Even at the early stages of planning, we will be encouraging engagement and enthusiasm in the project by residents, businesses and visitors in activities that will protect and enhance the many archaeological, historical and geological features in the landscape.”

One of the project goals will be to protect scheduled monuments such as Pendragon Castle as well as archaeological features on Birkett, Orton and Asby commons. The project will also raise awareness with research to identify undiscovered archaeological earthworks, sub-surface archaeology and the geological interest of the area by working with local interest groups and volunteers to record, interpret and manage them.

David Evans,

“Ultimately, we want people to stop and discover more about this unique place. The coast to coast path crosses it and national cycle routes run through it so there is already a high throughput of visitors. Our task is to encourage visitors to linger and learn more about this area’s rich cultural heritage, geology and stunning landscape, and so bring benefits that will help sustain the local economy whilst being sensitive to its tranquil and unspoilt character.

“I’m looking forward to meeting and working with community organisations, interest groups, farmers, landowners and businesses throughout the planning phase. Their involvement is vital to the success of the project and the quality of the long term legacy that we leave the area.”

The ‘Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscapes’ project will receive a grant of £3.2m to deliver the project aims at the end of the planning phase provided that final proposals fully meet HLF’s programme criteria. 

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