Lake District News
The latest lake district news stories, hand picked to be interesting and relevant to lovers of the English lake district
Fire destroys famous purple house
BBC News - 30th June
Rigg Beck in the Newlands Valley has been destroyed in a fire. This house will be familar to many of you as 'the purple house'. See a video on the BBC Web Site
Dog rescued after two weeks wandering Scafell
The Grough - 27th June
Gemma has been found by rescuers after spending two weeks on one of England’s highest mountains. The animal was found near Scafell as members of the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team were searching for three people who had gone missing on neighbouring Scafell Pike during a Three Peaks Challenge.
Downing Street says no to wild camping in England
The Grough - 24th June
The Government has given the thumbs-down to a request from more than 2,000 outdoor enthusiasts to allow wild camping in England, Although the Lake District National Park Authority does allow wild camp (with restrictions).
Calls for mass squirrel cull
BBC News - 22nd June
Not enough is being done to back a mass cull of grey squirrels aimed at saving the red squirrel population, according to Cumbria's Conservative MP David MacLean.
Queen comes face to face with gurning champion
BBC New - 5th June
A Woman dies after falling from Scafell
grough - 1st June
A 49-year-old woman from the Birmingham area fell about 60m (200ft) from Shamrock Crag on Friday afternoon. Her walking companion also fell and dislocated his shoulder when he went to her aid. Shamrock Crag is the lower of two crags on the Wasdale side of Scafell.
Restaurant opens on top of Skiddaw
BBC News - 15th May
A restaurant has temporarily opened for business on top of one of England's highest mountains. One of Cumbria's top chefs served up a three course lunch on Skiddaw in the Lake District as part of the Keswick Mountain Festival.
Lake District Fire at Grisedale Pike, Keswick
BBC News - 12th May
A large area of grassland went up in flames after lightning struck at Grisedale Pike, near Keswick. The blaze, which broke out mid-afternoon on Sunday, was brought under control by early evening.
Even the Himalayas can't compare with the beauty of Lakeland
The Independent on Sunday - 11th May
Sir Chris Bonington has explored the world's greatest landscapes, but his heart will always belong to the Lake District. On the eve of the Cumberland Ale Keswick Mountain Festival, he reveals his best-loved walks – and pints
80 year old man dies falling from Striding Edge
BBC News - 6th May
An 80-year old man from Threlkeld, near Keswick, was killed when he fell 300ft (91.4m) from Striding Edge, Helvellyn.
Cumbria's ospreys are thought to be caring for up to three eggs
BBC News - 5th May
Experts say the female osprey is now spending most of her time on the nest at Bassenthwaite Lake - behaviour that suggests she is incubating eggs. Volunteers have mounted a 24-hour surveillance operation from secret locations near the nest.
A New Reserve for Red Squirrels in Cumbria
BBC News
The Forestry Commission has teamed up with Save Our Squirrels to create new visitor facilities to observe Red Squirrels at Whinlatter, near Keswick.
Lake Districy Ospreys have moved nest
BBC News
After seven seasons at Wythop Woods on the shore of Bassenthwaite Lake, the birds surprised watchers by switching to the other side of the Lake.
Rescuers called to Lake District crevasse
A Lake District rescue team had an unusual callout early on Tuesday: a man stuck in a crevasse. A spokesman for the team later said: “There are no glaciers in Wasdale.”
Survival fight for eagle and hen harrier
The Guardian - 22nd April 2008
The last surviving golden eagle in England is believed to live in the Lake District; the bird ought to be widespread across rugged parts of the north and in Wales, but deliberate shooting on the moors is preventing it from spreading
Lake District ospreys are back for 2008
BBC News - 11th 2008
The Lake District's resident ospreys have made a startling return to their nest - arriving almost simultaneously after a winter spent apart in Africa.
Lake District Mountain Rescue incidents rise by 44 per cent
Grough - 10th April 2008
Lake District rescuers were kept busy last year, dealing with more than 400 incidents. The 13 mountain rescue teams in the area saw an increase of 44 per cent in the number of calls requiring their attention and spent 20,320 man-hours on callouts.
Hopes high for return of ospreys
BBC News - 7th April 2008
Bird watchers are preparing for the expected return of a breeding pair of ospreys to a nest site in Cumbria. The rare birds of prey have nested at Bassenthwaite Lake since 2001 and so far 13 chicks have hatched.
Scafell Pike no longer England's highest Peak
The Spoof - 1st April 2008
Scafell Pike has been downgraded to 963m whilst nearby Scafell has now been measured and confirmed as the holder of this record at 966m (please note the date of this news item!)
Huge tree-planting project begins in the North Lake District
BBC News - 3rd April 2008
More than 11,000 trees are to be planted in Caldbeck and the Uldale Commons to create three new woodlands.
Wastwater's winning view gets global publicity
The Westmorland Gazette - 3rd April 2008
Cumbria's west coast is set to become a major hit for overseas visitors this year due to the success of Britain's Favourite View.
A a permanent home for Donald Campbell's record-breaking Bluebird
BBC New - 2nd April 2008
The famous boat, in which Campbell died while trying to break his own speed record on Coniston Water, Cumbria, in 1967, is currently being restored. More than £500,000 has been raised to extend Consiton's Ruskin Museum, where Bluebird will eventually go on display.
Blackburn's landmark £10million bridge is to be named after Alfred Wainwright
The Citizen - 1st Apr 2008
Lancashire Telegraph rReaders have been voting to chose a name for the Freckleton Street structure, which is due for completion this summer and has already had a dramatic impact on the skyline.
Father and son saved after plunging 200ft from Helvellyn
BBC News - 26 Mar 2008
A father and 10-year-old son were saved after slipping in freezing conditions and plunging 200ft (60m) from a path on Helvellyn in the Lake District. They were found at Red Tarn by the Patterdale Mountain Rescue team.
Fury over tree-felling at Thirlmere
The Cumberland News - 23 Mar 2008
United Utilities has been clearing 114 acres of conifers and non-native trees from around the Thirlmere reservoir and replacing them with species indigenous to the area to improve views around the beauty spot. But locals in the area have criticised the project saying it looks like it has been devastated by a hurricane.
Go Ape Opens at Whinlatter Forest
News and Star - 15 Mar 2008
Top climber Leo Houlding tries out Go Ape at Winlatter Forrest, the Lake Districts newest tourist attraction.
Are second home owners bad news?
Times Online 9 - Mar 2008
The government sees second-home owners as bad news for rural communities (see news story below on 2 March) - however the Times correspondent Katrina Burroughs disagrees.
Grasmere Gingerbread War
BBC News - 8 Mar 2008
A bitter row has erupted in Cumbria over who has the rights to the famous Grasmere gingerbread name. Sarah Nelson's first sold gingerbread to tourists 150 years ago and wants to trademark the name.
UPDATED: Oil Spillage into Coniston Water did not damage wildlife
BBC News - 5 Mar 2008
Up to 1,000 litres of high-sulphur red diesel seeped into Coniston Water on January 17th. A spokesman from the Environment Agency said aquatic and wildlife did not appear to have suffered any ill effects as a result of the pollution
Curb on second home ownership
The Sunday Times - 2 Mar 2008
An inquiry commissioned by Gordon Brown will recommend local authorities have the power to prevent outsiders buying property they do not intend to make their main residence. Those seeking to buy country boltholes that deprive local residents of houses would be forced to apply to the council.
Earthquake felt in the Lake District
BBC News 27 Feb 2008
Hundreds of people across the North East and Cumbria called police after their homes were shaken in an earthquake which hit parts of England.
Wordsworth book bought by the Wordsworth Trust for £42,000
BBC News 24 Feb 2008
The second edition of Lyrical Ballads published in 1800 has been bought for £42,000 by the Wordsworth Trust in Cumbria. This poetry book is apparently one of the most important in English history.
Walker dies in fall from Scafell
BBC News 17 Feb 2008
Mr Woodland, 49, from St Briavels, Gloucestershire fell about 100ft while walking on Broad Stand stand - a notoriously hazardous route - on Scafell in the Lake District.
National park expansion on hold
BBC News - 16 Feb 2008
Plans which could see the Lake District National Park extended have been put on hold. Areas to the east of the existing national park had been earmarked as possible areas of outstanding beauty.
Alfred Wainwright has been blamed for the rocketing number of emergency call-outs in the Lake District
Sunday Sun - 10 Feb 2008
Mountain rescue services say the TV shows like Wainwright Walks encouraged novices to attempt some of the Lake District’s most treacherous climbs, including Scafell Pike and Helvellyn.
Cockermouth has been granted Cittaslow Status
BBC New - 8 Feb 2008
Cittaslow is an Italian term meaning "slow city", it is an international movement to help small communities retain their identity. It is hoped that the Cittaslow status, which recognises a good quality of life at a relaxed pace, will boost tourism in and around Cockermouth.
Fears for rare lake fish species
BBC News - 24 Jan 2008
Scientists are worried that one of the UK's rarest fish, vendace, may no longer be inhabiting Bassenthwaite in the Lake District.
Mountain Rescue is being stretched to the limit by people setting off ill-prepared
BBC News - 22 Jan 2008
Mountain Rescue England & Wales is a cash-strapped, volunteer-run emergency service whose members are forced to rattle buckets outside supermarkets to raise funds. Yet it is being stretched to the limit by people setting off on ill-prepared climbing trips.
Three Peaks Challenge climbers accused of environmental vandalism
Guardian Unlimited - 21 Jan 2008
Climbers who attempt to scale the tallest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales in under 24 hours to raise money for charity, will today be accused of scarring the countryside. Officials at the Lake District National Park will today launch a campaign with the Fundraising Standards Board, to call for limits on the number of participants.
Wainwright Society Photographic Competition 2007 Winner
Lake District Now - 18 Jan 2008
Sean McMahon, (from StridingEdge.net) has won the digital category of the 2007 Wainwright Society photographic competition with his picture of Levers Water which they described as "A beautifully composed image, full of atmosphere and perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Lakeland fells." View winning picture
Society Aims to Save Brockhole
North West Evening Mail - 16 Jan 2008
Brockhole on the shores of Windermere is currently used as a visitor centre. The Lake District National Park Authority is considering plans to revamp it which include one option to replace it with a new purpose-built visitor centre. The Victorian Society has asked English Heritage to give it listed status to prevent it from being pulled down.
Another climber dies on Helvellyn
BBC News - 13 Jan 2008
David Burke, 41, from Newcastle, died on Saturday afternoon after a 813ft (248m) fall from Striding Edge, Helvellyn. It is the second death on Helvellyn in less than a week.
UPDATED: Climber dies after falling 1,000ft
This is Lancaster - 11 Jan 2008
Michael Hollinshead, 62, from Bolton plunged about 984ft (300m) after he was blown off a ridge in high winds at Brown Cove on Helvellyn. Rescuers from the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were called to the incident at about 3pm. An RAF helicopter flew the walker to Barrow's Furness General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Walkers ignore snow warning
ic Newcastle.co.uk - 6 Jan 2008
A small number of hill walkers took to the slopes of Helvellyn in the Lake District yesterday despite repeated warnings from mountain experts to stay clear for fear of triggering an avalanche.
Severe warning to Lake District walkers
Lake District National Park Authority - 4 Jan 2008
Dire conditions on Helvellyn have prompted rare avalanche warnings, and walkers are advised to stay away from high peaks until the snow and ice subsides.
The Potter Effect
BBC News - 2 Jan 2008
Tourist attractions in the Lake District claim a rise in visitors has been prompted by the film Miss Potter, the 'Potter effect' is set to continue with the film recently seeing its release in Japan.
A Fellwalker dies after 300ft fall in the Lake District
BBC News - 31 Dec 2007
A 60-year-old man from Lancaster was walking with his son at Sharp Edge on Blencathra on Sunday when he fell 300ft. Members of the Keswick mountain rescue team went to his aid but he died whilst being flown to hospital in an RAF rescue helicopter.
The chairman of the Lake District National Park Authority is appointed an OBE
BBC News - 29 Dec 2007
George Thornton of Windermere received the honour for services to the environment.
Ice-covered body lay in the Lake District for Weeks
BBC News - 28 Dec 2007
Christopher Dagleish, from Harrow, was discovered in a hollow filled with frozen rain water at Black Hall fell on 20 December.
Give a Lake District Footpath This Christmas
Fix the Fells - 13 Dec 2007
Give someone the gift of a restored footpath this Christmas says Fix The Fells. Make a donation online and you can print off an instant certificate with a personalised message. And the good news is that the Heritage Lottery Fund will triple your donation, so a donation of say, £10, becomes £30.
War declared on Cumbria’s Grey Squirrels
Save Our Squirrels - 8 Dec 2007
War is being declared on Cumbria’s grey squirrel population thanks to a groundbreaking new post with the Save our Squirrels charity. There are only 140,000 reds surviving in Britain compared with 2.5 million grey squirrels. The reds are under threat from their bigger grey counterparts, which carry a virus that is lethal to the reds. Among the top spots to see red squirrels in the Lake District are Dodd Wood and Whinlatter Forest near Keswick, the Keswick to Penrith railway path, Aira Force and Ennerdale Forest.
Moutain Bike Trail at Whinlatter
BikeBiz - 5 Dec 2007
A new mountain bike trail and a Go Ape high wire forest adventure course will be build at Whinlatter near Keswick at a cost of £500,000. The 19 kilometre bike trial will be the longest purpose built trail in the Lake District and will involve building 15 kilometres of new singletrack.
Lake District World Heritage
Lake District World Heritage Project- 3 Dec 2007
Thirty-five organisations across Cumbria led by the County Council are keen for the Lake District to sit alongside the Taj Mahal, Egyptian pyramids, the Grand Canyon, Hadrian’s Wall and Stonehenge as a United Nations’ World Heritage Site. On the 27th November the Lake District World Heritage project made a presentation to the All Parliamentary Group on World Heritage at the Houses of Parliament