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

Westmorland Dales Landscape Forum

One of the highlights of our year has been the Westmorland Dales Landscape Forum, held at the High Chapel Community and Heritage Centre in Ravenstonedale last Saturday, April 23rd.

It comprised a series of talks in the morning, a splendid lunch and then three walk options in the afternoon. The aim was very much in line with our overall aim to reveal the hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales, and what we are doing to conserve and look after it, with a particular focus on Ravenstonedale (or should it be Russendal).  

The keynote presentation in the morning was from Dr David Johnson, who is leading our dry stone wall survey in Asby, on “Walls in the Westmorland Landscape”. This was complemented by those on village history, rocks, meadows, rivers, heritage features, access and the work our apprentice team do to help conserve them all.

The afternoon walks include one with the local history group around the village, another a little further afield looking at geology and scenery, and one along the Scandal Beck to Bowber Head, getting an insight into some of the river restoration work planned by our partners the Eden Rivers Trust and Cumbria Wildlife Trust. In all over 60 attended, learning about the area’s heritage, getting a bit of exercise and just enjoying each other’s company.

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