Designed Landscapes around Windermere from 1880-1920

The landscape around Windermere and Bowness in the
heart of the English Lake District continues to charm
and attract holidaymakers from around the world. Easy
lake access, forest walks, open fields with stunning
views to distant fells, and town amenities within
easy reach, all combine to make the area attractive
to tourists and residents alike. How did such an
aesthetically pleasing landscape evolve? Was it
designed or mere chance? If it was designed what were
the ideas behind it? How were the public able to gain
access to private land with such a pleasing variety
of landscapes? These questions were the starting
points for an investigation into the exceptional
landscape around Windermere that we
enjoy today. Three case studies were chosen from
different types of designed landscapes: Blackwell,
the Arts and Crafts house and garden south of Bowness
for villa landscapes; Queen Adelaide's
Hill for amenity landscapes, preserved from
development by the newly-fledged National Trust; and
Claife Woods, a commercial woodland and also one of
the first examples of multiple-use forestry in the
country.