A painting of a sun coved mountain with a range of trees in the foreground.

Natural-Cultural Heritage

2019

Enriching understanding of natural-cultural heritage in the English Lake District UNESCO World Heritage Site

Quality-Related Strategic Priorities Funding, Lancaster University

A painting of a sun coved mountain with a range of trees in the foreground.
Arthur Severn, ‘Coniston Old Man’, n.d., 1996P3044 © The Ruskin, Lancaster University

Following the Lake District’s cultural landscape following the region’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, this collaborative project explored the natural and cultural heritage of the English Lake District. Working in collaboration with the Lancaster Environment Centre and with members of Natural England’s Cumbria Area Team, we applied digital humanities methodologies to fill gaps in the environmental history of the Lake District. We also examined how historical attention to specific plant species in the Lakes helped to stimulate modern environmental thinking.

Project Lead: Dr Chris Donaldson, School of Global Affairs