Making connections

Making Connections

I spent yesterday exploring the hills and dales on the eastern edge of the Lake District National Park, mostly under bright blue skies. The highlight was the narrow winding road through tranquil Longsleddale, a spectacular riverside meander to a remarkably quiet corner of Cumbria. But what was I doing there on a sunny July Sunday?

Interpretive designer Marcus Byron and I have been commissioned to deliver a heritage engagement strategy for the brilliant Penrith 2 Kendal Arc Landscape Recovery Project. This ambitious 20-year project is bringing 37 farmers, landowners and landscape partners together to support, develop and celebrate nature-friendly farming across this large and varied area. At its heart is a new long-distance trail linking the two towns, which will give locals and visitors easy access to these distinctive connected habitats, communities, nature and heritage.

This landscape recovery scheme is being led by Cumbria Connect who, as their name suggests, are working hard to support farmers and landowners to revitalise the landscape and bring benefits for people and nature. While pockets of landscape restoration are brilliant, they are much more effective if joined together, creating larger and more effective habitat networks – helping wildlife thrive alongside productive farming and also capturing carbon, managing flooding and bringing many other benefits.

So Marcus and I took the opportunity to get a taste of the variety of landscapes, communities and heritage highlights yesterday. We began our exploration at the northern tip of the proposed new trail, the wonderful viewpoint of Penrith Beacon. We then meandered down to Lowther Castle, called into Shap, drove along Longsleddale, checked out Stavely and walked Kendal’s Cunswick Scar (and many points in between). And, despite occasional glowering skies, we dodged the rain all day – result!