National Parks (Lake District, England) Flashcards
What/where
Glaciated upland areas in Cumbria, north-west England
How large
64km from north to south, 53km east to west
When did it become an NP
1951
Famous for
Stunning scenery, abundant wildlife and cultural heritage
Lakes
Ribbon lakes and tarns
Lake Windermere as ferry cruises
Main centres
Windermere and Ambleside
Walks
Vary in length and difficulty to cater to all
Mountaineering
‘Birthplace of mountaineering’
Many challenges for the most experienced of climbers
Guides
William Wordsworth wrote in 1810 a guide as did Wainwright
History
Historical and cultural sites
Occupied since the end of the ice ages, 10,000 years ago
Evidence remains of early settlements
John Ruskin and Beatrice Potter had homes here
Impacts of tourism
- Traffic problems
- Honeypot sites
- Pressure on property
- Environmental issues
Tourism management strategies
- Traffic solutions
- Honeypot management
- Property prices
- Environmental issues
Tourism conflict opportunities
- Farming
2. Employment
P1. Traffic problems
89% of visitors come by car
Roads are narrow and winding
Towns like Bowness-on-Windermere aren’t built to sustain this level of traffic
Congestion and parking are major problems
P2. Honeypot sites
Both physical and cultures HPSs
Beauty spots and shopping centres attract hundreds of visitors daily
Serious footpath erosion in more popular spots eg Cat Bells
In the Lake District over 4 million people walk over 6km every year
P3. Pressure on property
20% of homes here are second homes
This causes 3 issues
1. Holiday cottages and flats aren’t occupied all year so owners aren’t part of community
2. Holiday makers often don’t support local businesses as they bring food with them
3. Demand from outside LD increases property prices so local people are forced out
P4. Environmental issues
Water sports prohibited on some lakes
Lake Windermere allows many damaging activities as wash from fast vehicles erodes shore
S1. Traffic solutions
Two strategies
a. Public transport planning
b. Efficient road network planning
S1a. Public transport
- Bus lanes operate in towns but narrow roads prevent this especially in rural areas
- Park and ride schemes to battle parking problems
S1b. Efficient road network
- Dual carriageways built around edge of Lake Distrcit
- Distributor roads link key tourist areas
- Choice of roads to take to split traffic
- Traffic calming measures eg cattle grid to slow down drivers
- Heavy lorries kept of scenic routes
S2. Honeypot management
3 elements
a. Footpaths
b. Parking
c. Litter
S2a. Footpaths
Repairing footpaths encourages people to stay on them and reinforcing them prevents further damage
Signposting routes also limits number of paths
S2b. Parking
Develop small car parks and hide with trees and these should be reinforces with large concrete slabs with holes in them. These holes fill with soil so grass covers concrete
S2c. Litter
Bins provided at key points and empties regularly
Picnic areas are designated to reduce litter
S3. Property prices
Local authorities could build more homes for rent and then lower price houses for sale
S4. Environmental issues
Speeds limits for boats to stop shore erosion however this limits enjoyment
Conflict over farming
Visitors trample crops and disturb livestock but signs and education will limit this
More income for framers with pony trekking and paint balling
Conflict over employment
Can be positive as businesses thrive but seasonality is a problem and low pay
Conflict over farming
Visitors trample crops and disturb livestock but signs and education will limit this
More income for framers with pony trekking and paint balling
Conflict over employment
Can be positive as businesses thrive but seasonality is a problem and low pay
