Restoration of Nether Wasdale Maypole

Nether Wasdale had its recently restored maypole returned and erected on 23 April 2009. 

The Nether Wasdale maypole, which is English Heritage listed, was erected centrally on the village green in 1897 to commemorate the 60th year of the reign of Queen Victoria. It was manufactured by Vickers Armstrong as a single iron casting in their shipyard at Barrow in Furness. The column, which has a conical base and a crowned top, stands 18 feet high and was secured by four bolts onto a large sandstone block mostly buried underground. A heavy steel flagpole was inserted into the top of the column extending the total height to almost 26 feet.

Around 1960, nobody can recall the precise date, the maypole was moved about 50 feet westwards to improve access along a track across the Green which led to adjacent Churchstile farm. It has been reported that when the maypole was being moved it was found to have a circumferential crack near the top. Some say it was dropped and broken when it was being moved, but that is not the only version!  However, it was repaired successfully at Stangends farm by welding and pinning a steel sleeve inside the column. Unfortunately, its new location, close to the overhanging branches of a large copper beach tree in the Old Vicarage garden, gave rise to problems as the maypole became entangled in the branches.

When the Our Green Space (OGS) submission for the Heritage Lottery Fund grant was being prepared in 2006 it was decided that the maypole should be returned to its 1897 location which was well clear of the copper beach and at the same time the opportunity should be taken to check the integrity of the column. Consequently, a sum of £1,500 was included in the OGS submission. There was no longer a problem with the farm track since this had been grassed over and was disused.

May Festival celebrates the heritage, culture and environmental values of Our Green Space.

The historical, cultural, landscape & community value of village greens were celebrated over the weekend at the Nether Wasdale May Festival.

Maypole is taken down and scanned for defects

The Wasdale group have recently taken down the maypole and had it scanned for defects, and the result of this is that it has many defects and we cannot re erect it without fixing the pole's cracks and pit holes. We are now exploring ways and means to either repair or replace parts of the pole, mainly the central sections.  It is one of a few listed maypoles in England.

Breaking News!

2nd Edition Open Spaces Guides available for download NOW!

Back by popular demand! Three new updated July 2010 2nd Editions of the highly recommended Open Spaces Guides - An Introduction to Their Legal Status and Protection, A Guide to Common Management Issues and An Introduction to Managing for Wildlife are available here to download for FREE! For lots more useful information and downloads visit our Resources page and click on either Village Greens, Common Land or Education.

Simply click on the titles below to download:

Open Green Spaces An Introduction To Their Legal Status and Protection 2nd Edition July 2010

Open Green Spaces A Guide to Common Management Issues 2nd Edition July 2010

Open Green Spaces An Introduction to Managing for Wildlife 2nd Edition July 2010

Extending the Benefits of Community Green Space - the Our Green Space project receives extension year funding.

Friends of the Lake District's project to protect and celebrate open green spaces in Cumbria has been awarded an extra year of Heritage Lottery funding.

The project has been extended to allow each community to participate in a programme of Heritage Festivals and celebrations across the county, and to pass on and share learning and skills established in the first three years.

Project officer Roe Baker said: 'I'm thrilled that the Our Green Space project has had its funding extended to 2011. This is thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the members of each of the Our Green Space communities, who are all volunteers who give their time because they value their village or urban green areas, and want to see them protected, accessed, improved and celebrated by the community.'

The extension year will also allow the project team to lobby for the prioritisation of green space in planning policy at a regional and national level and highlight the role of communities as being best placed to protect, develop and manage their own open green spaces.

Our Green Space is a Cumbria-wide project managed by Friends of the Lake District in partnership with Action with Communities in Cumbria (ACT). The project began in January 2008, now extended until December 2011, and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund's 'Your Heritage' grant scheme.

Training News! 

FREE training for Parish Councils and community groups! - How to prepare a management plan  

Who decides how your local open space is managed?

You can!

FREE training for volunteers on how to write a management plan

These sessions aim to de-mystify management plans and enable volunteers to prepare a plan for their local sites.

At each site we will look at how to take account of heritage, biodiversity, access, recreation and interpretation; where you need to seek expert advice; and how to set aims, objectives and actions.

The format can be applied to your own site, and each session will focus on a different theme:

Harrington Local Nature Reserve – Tuesday 20 July at 6.30 p.m.

Keeping ponds full of water and meadows full of flowers

Kiln Howe, Threlkeld – Saturday 24 July at 2.00 p.m.

Balancing wildlife and amenity

Cleator Moor – Monday 26 July at 7.00 p.m.

Involving local people in improving our green spaces

Hincaster Trailway – Saturday 14 August at 10.00 a.m.

Providing a safe route for people of all abilities

The session will last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Delegates will receive a course pack and a copy of Open Green Spaces - A Guide to Common Management Issues.

For more information and to book your free places, please contact Shirley Muir:

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tel: 016973 20803

Mob: 077755 28786