Friends of the Lake District and Land
Friends of the Lake District has a long history of involvment with land management. In 1937 in an effort to stem the decline in traditional Lakeland farming and to protect the distinctive vernacular qualities of Lakeland farms we formed the Lake District Farm Estates Ltd. Over a period of nearly 40 years Lake District Farm Estates purchased 17 farms in areas felt to be vulnerable to development, including Rannerdale Farm, Buttermere, Skelwith Fold Farm, Langdale and Yew Tree Farm in Borrowdale.
Lake District Farm Estates made a timely contribution to the conservation movement filling a gap at a critical time during the 1930s and 1940s before the creation of the Lake District National Park and before the National Trust had sufficient funds to embark on large-scale farms purchases. All the farms were eventually gifted to the National Trust in the mid-1970s.
Since the 1970s we have assisted other organisations with land purchases, particularly where public access is improved. To celebrate our 50th anniversary in 1984 we bought Little Langdale Tarn and gifted it to the National Trust and in 2001 we gave £17,000 to help the National Park Authority buy Blea Brows on the shores of Coniston Water.Since the late 1980s we have again begun to purchase land when appropriate and where enhancement can be carried out. Today we own five areas of land:
Little Asby Common and Sunbiggin Tarn, nr. Orton
Purchased: 2003
Size: 660 hectares
Landscape: Limestone upland and common land
Reason for purchase: To safeguard landscape of international importance
High Borrowdale, Westmorland
Purchased: 2002
Size: 44 hectares
Landscape: River and valley side pasture with derelict farmhouse
Reason for purchase: Potential for landscape and access enhancement and the need for increased recognition of its importance
Download property leaflet
Woodlands
We also own and manage three areas of woodlands:
Hows Wood, Eskdale - a mixed woodland purchased in 1987 to revert to broadleaved woodland
Mike's Wood, Staveley - an area of land purchased in 1993 to create a new native woodland
Halfway House, Langdale - a small area close to the A593
