Gathering the broken heft: the effects of climate change mitigation schemes on the traditional management systems of the Lake District World Heritage Site

Morgan, Owen (2023) Gathering the broken heft: the effects of climate change mitigation schemes on the traditional management systems of the Lake District World Heritage Site. In: Royal Geographic Society Annual Conference: Climate Changed Geographies, 29 August - 1 September 2023, London, UK. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The Lake District World Heritage Site is recognised for it’s continuous agro-pastoral tradition of common land management. These resources have been managed for centuries through the skilled pastoral practices of Lakeland fell (hill) farmers. A system which has relied on a combination of hefted flocks (groups of sheep bonded to specific areas of the landscape) and farmer’s collaborative herding operations known as ‘Gathers’. This system is reliant on traditional knowledge systems, transferred between generations within the fell farming community. These systems have shown remarkable resilience throughout years of agricultural change. However, they are now threatened by not only climatic change, but increasingly Governmental attempts to combat these effects. The UK Government’s new Environmental Landscape Management policy (ELMs), in addition to growing interest in carbon and biodiversity off-set schemes are putting increased pressure on these traditional systems of management. Many farmers are now finding their access to land and farming tenancies reduced. Whilst, competition for land from business is driving experienced farmers out of the community. This paper based on an ethnographic study of Lake District Fell farmers, looks to explore this traditional system and the current threats it is facing. Firstly, this paper will layout how the system is currently operating, concentrating on the collaborative activity of gathering, and the system of intergenerational knowledge exchange which supports it. Secondly, it will explore the threats to this system and the effects they are already having. Finally, connecting these threats with those faced by pastoral and land based peoples globally.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Departments:	Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA)
Depositing User:	OWEN MORGAN
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2023 11:16
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 15:30
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/7300

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