KYQ4: Langdale 2022

Langdale Pikes from Tarn Howes

The annual return to Langdale was different, the weather was poor, admittedly this is not unusual, but the Lake District "the UK's favourite holiday destination" is no longer functioning very well as the effects of Covid and Brexit become apparent.

For the first time in 36 visits to the Langdale Lodge, I managed no swims, no sessions in the gym or even a run. The pool and gym were only open between 10am and 6pm owing to the failure to attract staff. This meant that visits to the leisure facilities would require us to forego walks and visiting places during the day and that defeats the purpose of visiting the Lakes. The same shortages of staff applied to pubs, restaurants and shops. The nearby cafe at Skelwith Bridge, always a favourite, had insufficient staff to provide proper service or many of their excellent vegetarian dishes. The limited range of food was sold in paper bags and, whilst it could be eaten on the premises, the ambience was desultory.

The outlet stores for outdoor equipment in Grasmere and Ambleside had disappeared or been absorbed into mainstream stores. Outdoor equipment prices had rocketed by 30 - 40%. Beer in the Britannia Inn, our local, was £4.60 for a pint compared to £3.40 pre-Covid. The cost of the service charge for the lodge had gone up £160 a week since 2019 despite equipment in the lodge getting worse and having paid a substantial service and reparation charge in 2020 when we were unable to use the lodge for our week because of the estate did not open in the first weeks after lockdown ceased.

Many shops have disappeared from the towns and villages: the bookshop in Hawkshead, bakeries in Ambleside and public conveniences are now costing 50p. The post office in Ambleside was unable to open because of staff shortages. It is not just the effect of Brexit, the Lakes always depended on a good number of young Europeans to run services, but also because of the lack of affordable housing. In Langdale, 85% of the houses are now second homes or holiday lets. Locals have been squeezed out of their communities by the government's dystopian housing policies that have favoured cheap loans and private letting over addressing local needs.

There is a tragic unravelling of places by the unthinking decisions perpetrated by a government that seems totally blind to the damage caused by letting the markets rip. The importance of nurturing communities that are in touch with the needs of localities has been ignored by the mantra of 'levelling up' that lies at the heart of government doublethink.

The Lake District National Park seems keener to allow madcap tourist schemes such as rollercoaster theme park in Little Langdale and off-roading on ancient tracks by 4x4 vehicles despite receiving 384,000 objections mainly from walkers, cyclists and horse riders who use these greenways. The very essence of National Parks was to give people access to the natural environment utilising the excellent network of paths and tracks. Local businesses would thrive on the back of visitors enjoying access by foot, bike and horse to escape the noise, pollution and intrusion of vehicles that dominate life elsewhere. It would seem that the prospect of outside investment in dubious populist leisure activities trumps localism within the National Park. Yet the National Park should be at the forefront in encouraging more sustainable developments that safeguard our outstanding landscapes and local communities.

On a rain-splattered week, we only managed a few walks at Eskdale, Langdale and Tarn Howes on the better afternoons. On other days we visited the Beatrix Potter exhibition, Keswick, Bassenthwaite, Hawkshead, Grasmere and Ambleside. Fellini's restaurant in Ambleside was the highlight of the week along with the splendid walk from Eskdale to Whin Rigg and Illgill Head. It was not the best year at Langdale and the hope is that the drift towards a tourist driven populism in the Lakes will be thwarted by greener, community led voices.