Landscape and heritage - Lake District National Park

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Home Protect Landscape and heritage

Discover the Lake District’s unique heritage and historic landscape, and understand how we manage and protect its distinctive character, special qualities and World Heritage status.

The world‑class cultural landscape of the Lake District National Park has been shaped by natural forces and centuries of agro-pastoral and local industry.

Its rugged fells, dramatic valleys and historic remains together tell a story of beauty, resilience and global influence.

Image showing a rich archaeology and historic environment

Archaeology and historic landscape

Image showing complex geology and geomorphology

Geology and geomorphology

Buttermere on a sunny blue sky day, green woodland surrounding the lake and low fells reflected in the lake water. Rocks extending from lake shore into the water in foreground

Land ownership

landscape view of catbells and derwent water on a sunny day

Landscape Character Assessment

Arial view of Ullswater, large light blue lake body surrounded by green woodland, fields and brown fells

World Heritage Site

The Lake District was inscribed by UNESCO in 2017 as a World Heritage Site and cultural landscape. We are now England’s premier National Park joining Egypt’s pyramids, the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu and Hadrian’s Wall. Learn more about our attributes of outstanding universal value and what this World Heritage Inscription means.

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Discover our archaeology and heritage projects

Coniston Copper

The project took place between 2016 and 2018. Work focused on conservation – over 150 items needing repair, stabilisation and reconstruction across ten different structures at the two sites.

Romans in Ravenglass

Romans in Ravenglass was a community-led archaeology project during two summers in 2013 and 2014. Over 900 local volunteers worked with professional archaeologists to uncover the Roman Ravenglass story.

Archaeology volunteers kneeled on floor digging into area

High Street Roman Road

In the summer of 2022, we undertook a hands-on project to investigate High Street, the Lake District’s most famous Roman Road that goes for about 20 km over the high fells between Ambleside and Brougham fort near Penrith.

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