INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

In their own words the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) “seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.” This is embodied in an international treaty, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

The Lake District is valued in different ways by different people – all of which are important. However the criteria used by UNESCO for selecting World Heritage Sites are quite specific and focus on their definition of outstanding universal value (OUV).

During the 17th and 18th Centuries a society and tradition of independent farming created a distinctive pattern of landscape in the Lake District, which is largely still visible. This together with the scenic qualities of the Lake District, was ’discovered’ by outsiders and was an inspiration to globally influential writers, poets and artists who introduced the spiritual and other benefits of landscape to the world. This gives the Lake District its OUV.