Beavers Return to Ennerdale-Plans put on hold

In spite of some local concerns that the project is being rushed, Forestry England had planned to bring back the European beavers.But the project has hit problems and been put on hold...Find out more...

Ullswater farm returns fells to shorthorn cattle

A Lakeland farm that has opted to return cattle to its fellside pastures in place of sheep attracted praise at a U3A Conference at Penrith. Sam and Claire Beaumont described how they are implementing a hybrid of regenerative agriculture and re-wilding across their Gowbarrow Hall farm overlooking Ullswater.
They now have a suckler herd of beef shorthorn cattle, which they manage regeneratively to mimic nature.
Sam explained: "Wilder Gowbarrow is part of our mission to improve the sustainability of our farm business as well as our environment. It is a joint project between Gowbarrow Hall Farm and Wilderculture C.I.C."
He added that direct sales of high quality 100% grass fed meats was not only profitable but restored the soil profile. "This is a first for the UK uplands and aims to demonstrate that we can produce a sustainable supply of nutrient rich healthy foods."

For more information on the project, please go to www.wilderculture.com/wilder-gowbarrow-project/
Or find out more about how Gowbarrow runs at http://gowbarrow.co.uk/

Keswick Cycleway reopens

The The cycleway/walkway between Keswick and Threlkeld is reopened to the community.
Pictured the opened up tunnel part of the route..More info here.

Nuclear Dump under the Lakes moves step closer

10/11/2020 Keswick and Whitehaven Tory MP backs dump planning

The granite under parts of Eskdale and Wasdale may end up hosting the UK's proposed underground nuclear dump(estimated cost so far £4.3 billion). Meanwhile the guardians of the Lakes, the National Park Authority says it's inappropriate to object...Lakestay disagrees and says it is much better to keep the waste above ground where it can be monitored. But huge community 'bribes' may cloud Cumbrians' judgement and Copeland and Allerdale councils have said they want to 'take the money'.....Read more on this important issue...or see the video

Mist Below...

Dramatic inversion below Red Pike caught in superb picture by @adrianstrand

Child Labour in Cumbrian Mines

Life was cheap as coal was hewn under the Irish Sea..Learn more at our web site

The Real Bluebird

The Roman Fort on
the mountaintops

Truly magnificent setting for this Roman fort in the mountains...find out more at our Romans in Cumbria page.

Learn to Speak Cumbrian?

Find out what it means to be Gattered and the many other dialect Cumbrian words that hark back to the days when the Vikings were the main farmers in the Lakeland dales. Such words as Knock and knash, neb, mush and scran are just some of those explained on this Dialect Dictionary web site.

Foxhunting in the Lakes..

MPs brought an end to John Peel's sport in February 2005. Follow this link to find out more about the Lakeland hunting packs and to hear John Peel's song.

*2024: Little known fact..There has been a trial hydrogen blending in the mains gas network at a site in Cumbia near Penrith. The project, known as HyDeploy, was conducted by Northern Gas Networks (NGN) and was one of the first UK projects to introduce a blend of hydrogen (up to 20%) into the natural gas network.

June 2024....Safer road on western side of Thirlmere now re-opened...better route for cycling and walking.
March 2024:The world-famous Bluebird K7 has returned to Coniston in the Lake District - decades after the fatal crash which killed pilot Donald Campbell. After a lengthy and bitter legal battle, the hydroplane has left a North Shields workshop and will go on display at Coniston's Ruskin Museum.More...

November 2021; The former Queen's Guide to the Sands, Cedric Robinson, has died at the age of 88. He spent more than 50 years guiding people across Morecambe Bay. More on crossing the Sands.

The absurd £300 million pipeline through the Lakes

West Cumbria is now strategically totally dependent on Thirlmere for its future water supply security....because of a theoretic risk to freshwater mussels...find out more here.

Lakeland's Derelict Lido

A derelict Grade II listed coastal lido is to be refurbished and reopened to the public, but not yet as a swimming pool. Plans for Grange Lido in Cumbria to be turned into a "multi-use public space" have been agreed by South Lakeland District Council. Grange Town Council is also to support. The authority said it could be used for swimming in the future if a business case was made for a pool that could run without an ongoing public subsidy. The outdoor seaside salt-water bathing Lido opened in 1932 and was open and popular until closure in 1993. https://www.savegrangelido.co.uk/

Cumbria's Lord of the Runes

Was this Cumbrian find the inspiration for J R Tolkien's epic tales?

*Cumbria's own 'Brunel'
Saving the Lakes from an Army of Conifers
A Tale to amuse Jonathan Swift?
How they took the first elephants to Australia!
The quiet shores of the Solway
St Bega's Walk
Find out about the inter-Irish 'Murphy Riots'
Ennerdale, the quiet valley
Lakeland Breweries
Lakeland Gardens
Cockermouth after the Floods

Cold War Cumbria

Find out some of the ways Cumbria was embroiled in the Cold War...Read on

Borrowdale's Caveman

The eccentric pioneering rock climber and Borrowdale caveman Millican Dalton...more .

Wasdale Shepherds Meet enjoyed late summer sun. Trail hounds race for the finish (Pic M.McKenzie) Meanwhile Cumbrian foxhunting packs wait to see if the new government rescind the Foxhunting Ban?

The Doomed Hamlets

This was the last sermon at the church before the reservoir flooded the valley. Read about another chapel lost forever.

Wildlife in your parish

Tullie House at Carlisle has this excellent web site which tells you which rare species live in every parish of Cumbria...
http://www.cbdc.org.uk

The Coniston postman always....