The Partnership's Plan - Lake District National Park

PART ONE - What the Lake District looks like now
This part describes the National Park and identifies some difficult decisions. Annex C contains
a profile of the National Park.
1.1 Special qualities of the Lake District National Park
Special qualities distinguish National Parks from each other and from other parts of the
country. We need to be clear about the Lake District’s special qualities so we protect them and
have a platform for effective management. Consultation on the Lake District National Park
Management Plan in 2003 and World Heritage Site proposals in 2006 identified a number of
characteristics that make the Lake District National Park unique. These have been carefully
considered and reassessed.
The special qualities of the Lake District are:
• Complex geology and geomorphology
• Diverse Landscape from mountain to coast
• Unique farmed landscape and concentration of common land
• Nationally important mosaic of lakes, tarns and rivers and coast
• Wealth of habitats and wildlife
• Extensive semi-natural woodlands
• History of tourism and outdoor activities
• Opportunities for quiet enjoyment
• Open nature of the fells
• Rich archaeology
• Distinctive areas and settlement character
• Celebrated social and cultural heritage
Each of these special qualities is considered in greater detail below and issues affecting them
are described in Part Three of this plan.
The Lake District National Park is on the Government’s tentative list of World Heritage Site
nominations as a 'Cultural Landscape'. The statement of the Lake District’s Outstanding
Universal Value is in Annex A and links to the majority of these special qualities.
Complex geology and geomorphology
The distinctiveness and rarity of the Lake District’s geology and geomorphology are among its
special features. Its rocks provide a dramatic record of nearly 500 million years of the earth’s
history. Within today’s picturesque and tranquil scenery we can see evidence of colliding
continents, some of the most violent volcanic activity ever to affect the British Isles, deep
oceans, tropical seas, and kilometre-thick ice sheets. The area has the largest and deepest
lakes and highest mountains in England. Its rock sequence, which shows a variety of distinct
and different climate regimes, makes a significant contribution to our understanding of past
climates.
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