Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is one of a family of 15 National Parks.
National Parks are beautiful, spectacular and often dramatic expanses of relatively wild country. Each National Park has its own managing authority to conserve and enhance its natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage and to help people understand and enjoy its special qualities.
National Parks are protected under legislation and the planning system to ensure conservation and enhancement of their special qualities not just for the present, but also for future generations of residents and visitors.
Although the National Park Authorities may own some land, they do not own all the land within a National Park. The Lake District National Park Authority owns approximately 3.9 per cent of the National Park. The rest is owned by such organisations as the National Trust, United Utilities, Forest Enterprise and other private landowners. This is very different to national parks overseas, particularly in the USA.
Until the 19th century relatively wild, remote areas were seen as uncivilised and dangerous. However the Romantic poets found inspiration in the beauty of "untamed" countryside with Wordsworth describing the Lake District as "a sort of national property, in which every man has a right and an interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy".
In the early 20th century a growing appreciation of the outdoors, the feeling of freedom and spiritual renewal found there and the benefits of physical exercise led to demands for more access to the countryside. The conflict between landowners and public interest groups grew with the expansion of towns and cities and the enclosure of more land by landowners.
In the 1930s leisure enthusiasts and nature conservationists such as the Ramblers' Association, the Youth Hostels Association and the Council for the Preservation of Rural England pressed the government for access for and protection of the countryside. After World War Two the movement towards creating National Parks gained momentum.
VISITROS INFORMATION:
You can:
hire a bike and cycle the forests
fly your kite on a stunning beach
experience beautiful bridleways on horseback
fancy fishing? Ask at any of our Information Centres
enjoy riverside strolls
visit one of the many 'open gardens' schemes
glimpse the glories of the Lake District from a hot air balloon
Countryside Code
Follow the Countryside Code to get the best enjoyment possible and protect the countryside now and for future generations.
Be safe - plan ahead and follow any signs
Leave gates and property as you find them
Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home
Keep dogs under close control
Consider other people
Nearest railway station: Oxenholme - 0.66 miles, 15 minutes' walk or 3 minutes' taxi ride
Lake District National Park Authority
Murley Moss
Oxenholme Road
Kendal
Cumbria
LA9 7RL