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The National Trust
The National Trust plays an essential role in maintaining the Lake District National Park, and the world famous landscapes of the Lake District are among the most iconic and striking in Britian.
More than a century ago three Victorian philanthropists were concerned about the impact of uncontrolled development and industrialisation. They set up the National Trust "to act as a guardian for the nation in the acquisition and protection of threatened coastline, countryside and buildings". It is a registered charity which relies on the generosity of subscribing members and other supporters, and is completely independent of Government.
The park has always been at the forefront of the debates over conservation, and combines this with a seemingly never-ending range of artistic and literary associations; indeed, art and conservation seem forever bound in the Lake District. In William Wordsworth's 'Guide to the Lakes' (1810), the poet considered the area to be "a sort of national property"; the National Trust was in fact founded 85 years later. By the time Beatrix Potter died in 1943 she was able to leave 14 farms, 4000 acres of land and her flocks of Herdwick Sheep to the National Trust. The Lake District National Park was created in 1951.