Country Life

Where shepherds watch

IN a normal year, more than 15 million people visit the Lake District to enjoy its captivating fusion of jagged mountains, crystalline waters and rolling green pasture. It’s a glorious landscape, but, as is the case with any other, it didn’t evolve alone. At its heart is the indigenous population of Herdwick sheep—the name derives from , an ancient word for pasture—and the families who have farmed it for centuries. For these people, this place is more than a crucial tourist attraction, it’s a workplace and a home

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Country Life

Country Life2 min read
Athena
AT the end of last year, the Welsh Government—pleading financial constraints imposed upon it by Westminster—published a draft budget for 2024–25. The cultural sector was treated with particular ruthlessness in the resulting settlement, with cuts risi
Country Life3 min read
The Fens
WITH its vast, flat, low-lying landscape under brooding panoramic skies, the Fens—an area of 400,000 hectares (998,420 acres)—once constituted the largest wetland area in England, created from glacial deposits on Jurassic and Cretaceous bedrock. Form
Country Life4 min read
Secret Agent
WHEN you move house, it may be that a much-loved record or book stays hidden in one of those boxes in the attic that, despite best intentions, stays unopened for months. You know you have it somewhere and that you will be reunited at some point, but

Related Books & Audiobooks