History of The Lake District

Welcome to The Lake District dot eu, the site dedicated to the stunning Lake District of northern England. Find local Lakeland history plus other info with our pages.

The first archaelogical evidence of human habitation dates back to the late Neolithic times, over 4000 years ago, and then from the Bronze Age. Evidence includes the stone circles and monuments along with the carvings and symbols found on scattered rocks. It was in the late Bronze Age that the inhabitants began to clear the trees, enabling them to grow crops and keep animals. As time passed, the more favourable locations grew into settlements.

The coming of the Romans to the Lake District didn't make the same cultural differences that they did in the south of the country. The lake District was almost on the frontiers of the Roman Empire and, as such, had a more military than cultural signifcance. The period following the Romans' departure has left little visible evidence and the next era of which we can see strong evidence is that of the Norsemen from the 10th century. Their influence can be seen in place names of Norse origin ending in 'by' meaning village, and 'thwaite' meaning clearing. The locally familiar words, beck, dale, fell and gill are all words of Norse origin. The Norsemen also left earthworks and stone crosses on the landscape. By the late 11th century, however, the Norman conquerors controlled Cumbria and the land was managed, for the king, by the Lords of the Manor and, later, the powerful monasteries at Shap, Calder and Furness. The monks traded iron and wool. The iron was smelted using charcoal from local woodlands and sheep were grazed on the cleared woodlands. Goods were transported by packhorse and evidence of these well defined routes can be found in the bridges along the way.

The Industrial Revolution changed the way of life in the Lake District as drastically as it did in many other parts of the country. Resources were exploited on a new and much greater scale, and more people were drawn into these industrial districts. The production of charcoal, from coppiced woodlands, for smelting iron ore was increased; wool and woollen cloth production increased; more mills were built to accommodate the newer cotton, paper, flax, tanning, brewing, pencil making, gunpowder, bobbin making, and sawing industries which came into existence in the Lake District.

The turning point probably came, however, with the realisation, in people's hearts, that the value of the area was not just in its capability to sustain industry but also in its aesthetic qualities. The age of the tourist was about to start. The railway came to Windermere in 1847 making the Lakes far more accessible to greater numbers of people. John Ruskin was quick to recognise that this very popularity could be self destructive, destroying the very quality, tranquility, that was making Lakeland so popular. To guard against this fate, the National Trust was created in 1895 and still exists, today, as guardian of our national heritage.