The 2024 Kirby Lecture: Lake District 2051

Lake District 2051: What will the National Park be like when it's 100?

Friends of the Lake District's Annual Kirby Lecture took place on Friday 11 October 2024 at the University of Cumbria's Percival Lecture Theatre in Ambleside.

The event took the form of a panel discussion imagining what the future of the Lake District National Park may look like in 2051, when it reaches its 100th birthday.

Over the years the Lake District has seen many challenges, but today we seem to be at a tipping point. Climate change adds to flood and fire risks, and nature is in a worse state in National Parks than outside them. Many people feel excluded from our protected landscapes, whilst the opportunities for quiet enjoyment versus adventure tourism, make us question, ‘what and who is our National Park for?’

Decision makers, communities, land managers, businesses and visitors in 2024 all have a role to play in ensuring the National Park thrives. But 27 years from now, will our children be proud of the Lake District landscape we have shaped?

This lecture looked at the hopes, fears and visions for three elements that impact the Lake District landscape: farming, tourism and people.

Chair Fiona Reynolds guided us through a debate about the farmed landscape, the visited landscape, and the young people’s landscape. She was joined by James Robinson from Strickley Farm near Kendal, Daniel Holder from The Quiet Site in Ullswater, and Claire Bryant from The Outdoor Partnership. As well as telling us about their work and their visions for the future of the Lake District, the panel took questions from a packed audience on everything from farming and nature, to housing, employment and tourism.

About the panel:

Daniel Holder is the Managing Director of The Quiet Site sustainable holiday park. The Quiet Site operates as a Carbon Neutral business. In 2012 he organised three separate holiday parks to form a new and sustainable holiday offering, linked by cycling and rail. Daniel is a founding member of SITU (Sustainable Integrated Transport Ullswater) that has been responsible for new walking routes and bus services within the Ullswater valley.

Claire Bryant is Outdoor Activities Development Officer for the Outdoor Partnership in Coastal Cumbria. She has worked as an outdoor professional in various outdoor centres across the UK including Outward bound and The Lake District Calvert Trust, she is passionate about encouraging people from all backgrounds and abilities to access outdoor activities on their doorstep.

James Robinson from Strickley Farm near Kendal farms 300 acres of organic land in Cumbria with his family. The farm is home to 250 head of organic Dairy Shorthorn cattle and the land is made up of a mix of pasture and meadow, interspersed with a range of habitats, such as hay meadows, wetland, ancient hedgerows and woodland. They won the 2022 FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) Silver Lapwing Award in recognition of their commitment to farm conservation. James is also Chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network for England.

Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE (chair) was Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 2012 until 2021. Before the college she was Director-General of the National Trust, from 2001-2012.
Prior to that, she was Director of the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office (1998-2000), Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (now Campaign to Protect Rural England) from 1987-98 and Secretary to the Council for National Parks (now Campaign to Protect National Parks) from 1980-87. She has an MA and MPhil from Cambridge University in Geography and Land Economy.

Video and audio by Rhythm AV