The English Lake District

by Francesca Buggio - luciana marinez

Located in northwest England, the English Lake District is a mountainous area, whose valleys have been modelled by glaciers in the Ice Age and subsequently shaped by an agro-pastoral land-use system. The combined work of nature and human activity has produced a harmonious landscape in which the mountains are mirrored in the lakes. Grand houses, gardens and parks have been purposely created to enhance the landscape’s beauty.

Since 2017 it has been a Unesco World Heritage Site, in recognition of its unique hill-farming culture. It's awash with outdoor opportunities, from lake cruises to mountain walks, but many people visit it for the region's literary connections.

Why is it included in the World Heritage Site?

Criterion (ii): The harmonious beauty of the English Lake District is rooted in the vital interaction between an agro-pastoral land use system and the spectacular natural landscape of mountains, valleys and lakes of glacial origins. In the English Lake District the values led directly to practical conservation initiatives to protect its scenic and cultural qualities.
Criterion (v): The surviving attributes of land use form a distinctive cultural landscape. The English Lake District and its current land use exemplify the practical application of the powerful ideas about the value of landscape which directly stimulated a landscape conservation movement of global importance.

Criterion (vi): A number of ideas of universal significance are directly and tangibly associated with the English Lake District, such as: a new relationship between people and landscape built around an emotional response to it, the idea that landscape has a value and that everyone has a right to appreciate and enjoy it and the need to protect and manage landscape.

Risks affecting The English Lake District area, include:

the impact of long-term climate change
economic pressures on the system of traditional agro-pastoral farming
development pressures from tourism.

These risks are managed through established systems of land management overseen by members of the Lake District National Park Partnership

IMPACTS OF TOURISM:

Positive impacts

Tourism creates new jobs
Tourists support local shops and products
Money from tourists can be used to conserve and improve the area
Services for tourists benefit local people, for example public transport and roads
Local people value and care for the environment

Negative impacts

Jobs in tourism are often seasonal and wages are low
Large numbers of tourists can damage the environment. For example footpath erosion
Demand for holiday homes pushes up house prices for local people.
More pollution and litter
More traffic congestion and parking issues

Erosion in the Lake District

Today the Lake District attracts over 12 million visitors per year. This large number of visitors puts the environment under great pressure. It has been estimated that over 10 million people use the National Park’s paths annually. With so many feet pounding these routes, many Lake District paths have become huge open scars. Eroded paths are unpleasant to walk on and can lead to habitat loss as well as damage to the heritage, archaeological and natural history qualities of the area.

"The Lake District National Park will be an inspirational example of sustainable development in action."

The Lake District National Park Authority is appointed to look after the area.

They want:

a tourism industry that is profitable
to protect the local environment and culture
to improve the visitor experience
to offer local food and crafts distinctive to the area
to ensure that good quality accommodation is available at a wide range of prices

Buggio, Marinez - The English Lake District

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