Friday 4 December 2015

#LakeDistrictBid Advent Calendar Day 4 - Because of the industry

It may look all green and pleasant now, but the Lake District has had a surprisingly industrial history which has left its mark on the landscape.  Quarries and mines are dotted around all over the region and some of the remnants of that industry are surprisingly pretty.

I've just picked out 2 below: Stott Park Bobbin Mill to the north of Newby Bridge is a superb place to visit to see how the bobbin industry once dominated the region, and Kentmere reservoir which was built to regulate the flow of water along the River Kent so that the 7 watermills depending on it never stopped turning.

Stott Park Bobbin Mill

Kentmere Reservoir
There are dozens of others I could have mentioned - Honister Slate Mine, Shap Quarry, the graphite mines south of Derwentwater (which also left their mark on our language by giving us phrases such as "black market") etc. etc. etc.  We could even go back as far as the Neolithic axe factory in the Langdale Valley - proving that ever since man set foot here, we've been making use of the natural materials all around us.

There's an axe factory in them thar hills!

Please click HERE to register your support for the bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site Status.
Click HERE to go back to Day 1.

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