You should all be aware that the National Lottery Heritage Fund has approved an extension to the Scheme which allows us a final summer of activity with projects drawing to a close in the autumn. This means that you will remain on our mailing list for a little longer that originally anticipated so do check out our updated privacy policy linked and referenced in the 'Westmorland Dales Scheme Extension' item featured later in the newsletter. Although we’re starting to think about our legacy there’s still plenty to enjoy and be involved with over the coming months.

Our Landscape Forum this year will be taking place on Saturday 22^nd April in Maulds Meaburn, a fascinating village in the Lyvennet valley to the north of Crosby Ravensworth. The programme has now been finalised so do have a look and book a place via the website. It will be great to see as many of you there as possible. One of the key themes of the day will be farming, its importance to understanding the heritage of the area and the challenges it faces today. It will also be the feature of Our Common Heritage Exhibition, which is being held at Shap a little later in the spring, and we have a whole series of events on the theme of wool. Later in the year we’ve planned a volunteer get-together for 11^th July and our Final Celebration event will be held at Shap Wells Hotel on Thursday 7^th September. Put it in your diary and keep an eye on the website for details, as well as other upcoming events; we have a few spaces available on some, plenty of spaces on others.

Our series of winter webinars has now come to an end featuring our Riverine Species Monitoring, Small-scale Heritage Features and Digging the Past projects. All are available online and we hope to have a final series of webinars in the autumn. Over the last few months we’ve said goodbye to James, James, Libby and Sam, our final group of four apprentices, and to Rebekah, our cultural heritage trainee. They’ve been brilliant ambassadors for the Scheme. Their final project, the construction of the new footpath at Tebay, has now been officially opened and is already being well used. There’s plenty more work planned over the spring and summer with conservation works on the Lime kilns at Smardale and river restoration works at Bowber Head.

And finally I’ve learned a new word – see if you can spot it too in the newsletter. I did have to ask for an explanation. There’s always something new to learn!

David Evans, Scheme Manager
March 2023

Spring 2023 Newsletter>