Back during the winter of 2009 – 2010 the Pathways team led on the consultation as part of the Lakes to Dales Landscape Designation Project on behalf of Natural England.  The project looked at whether certain areas between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks should be designated as National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

We worked with Countryscape to lead the consultation, which involved setting up and delivering a number of drop-in events across the counties.   The photos you see here are taken at some of those meetings that we held, all in spite of the heavy snow the fell during this winter.

Recently it has been announced that officials from Natural England have approved extensions.  If confirmed by the Secretary of State, it will see the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales National Park expand to encompass another 162 square miles.

This extension would see the inclusion of parts of the Orton Fells, the northern Howgill Fells, Wild Boar Fell and Mallerstang to the north, and to the west, Barbon, Middleton, Casterton and Leck Fells, the River Lune and part of Firbank Fell and other fells to the west of the river.