More than mere beauty

摘要

From the summit of Skiddaw your eye skims Derwent Water, climbs over the ruddy Maiden moors and across forested fells, then up to the peaks of Sca Fell. Scenic splendours like this attract over 12 million visitors a year to the region. But few who drink in its beauty realise they're also admiring an industrial landscape.rnThe Lakes have been mined and quarried for over 800 years. Coal was a source of energy and livelihood from the 13th century until the closure of Haig Pit in 1986. The valuable iron ore, haematite, was extracted from local limestone until the 1830s. But not all the riches are in the rocks: the infamously drenching Cumbrian rain was turned into hydropower by the early innovators of the industrial revolution. Water-powered bobbin mills became a feature of the landscape in the mid-19th century, supplying Manchester's booming textile factories.