New Free MP3 Trails

Compelling community history exploring a rich industrial heritage is blazing a trail. Three new opportunities to seek out gripping glimpses into the past have come courtesy of Windermere Reflections, which is encouraging people to walk, listen and learn.

Three MP3 trails have been introduced to show how significant sites impacted on the area and its people. Areas highlighted include Elterwater and the remains of a fulling mill, where woollen cloth was cleaned, Greenhead Gill lead mine and a fulling mill at Easedale, near Grasmere.

Greenhead Gill

Lake District National Park's archaeology and heritage adviser, Eleanor Kingston, said the audio trails were a perfect way to realize how the Lake District's natural resources were used in the past by its inhabitants.

She explained:

People living and working here had a huge impact on the landscape and economy of the area. We have investigated the influence of water, woodland and minerals, including slate, mining and iron production.

The beauty of using MP3s is that people can enjoy these trails and the narrative whenever they want, unlike organised events and walks.

These trails will hopefully bring our industrial history alive and interpret the lumps and bumps that you can see on the ground.

Windermere Reflections, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, has masterminded 19 projects to improve water quality and bring economic and environmental gain to Windermere's water catchment and its communities. The catchment covers waters feeding into Lake Windermere, including Stickle Tarn, Easedale Tarn, Grasmere, Rydal Water, Elterwater and Esthwaite Water. The Reflections on History programme, which has now been completed, has seen extensive work on the area's industrial past, examining new and existing sites.

Its findings have been published in a new booklet, which will be on sale in information centres. Windermere Reflections, Exploring the Industrial Archaeology of the Windermere Area costs £5.

Trails can be downloaded from the Lake District National Park or Windermere Reflections web sites.

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