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Properties we manage: Managing Glenridding Common 1 Sandwood Looking after footpaths and protecting precious habitats 2 Quinag 3 Sconser, Strathaird We are committed to making Glenridding and Torrin on Skye Common a key hub for conservation 4 Li and Coire Dhorrcail, activity, ensuring that people of all ages and backgrounds can become involved in 5 Ben Nevis enriching the natural environment of this beautiful landscape. 6 East 7 Glenlude We support residents and visitors as they 8 Glenridding Common, enjoy and care for the ’s Lake District special qualities through the John Muir Award. Our engagement scheme has been Wild land quality index firmly established in since 2003 TOP 10% and in partnership with the Lake District Taking part in a litter sweep by Red Tarn. WILDEST LAND National Park since 2011. HIGH The Trust also helps preserve the

Local partners like Fix the Fells help us to industrial heritage of the site, whose LOW minimise visitor impacts, keep footpaths character was influenced by the nearby in robust condition and safeguard Greenside Lead Mine - a major industrial biodiversity. enterprise between 1825 and 1961. “The mountains are calling and I must go” John Muir, 1873 This map is reproduced from material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown Copyright. license number: 100034628 2010. Analysis and cartography by Wild Land Research Institute, University of Leeds.

PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY JOHN MUIR TRUST A guide to Protecting and enhancing our wild places for generations to come The John Muir Trust is the leading wild land conservation charity in the UK. We love wild places and are dedicated to protecting and improving them for people and wildlife. Over Glenridding Common 10,000 members support us in our work. If you care about the natural world, please join us Managed by the John Muir Trust johnmuirtrust.org/join [email protected] | 01796 470080

The John Muir Trust is a Scottish Charitable company limited by guarantee(Charity No SC002061, Company No SC081620). Registered office: Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AN ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETE BARRON, UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED. UNLESS OTHERWISE PETE BARRON, BY ALL PHOTOGRAPHS John Muir Award participants take part in a work party. © John Muir Trust 2018 johnmuirtrust.org Introducing Glenridding Common An epic landscape combining history, culture and rugged nature

Glenridding Common covers around The property is registered common 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of spectacular land and is farmed through traditional mountain scenery including a dramatic methods by local farmers who have horseshoe-shaped ridge that crosses the rights of communal grazing. This cultural jagged and precipitous Striding Edge onto landscape helped the Lake District Glenridding the broad plateau of summit National Park achieve UNESCO World Common: making before curving back along Swirral Edge. Heritage status. At 950 metres (3,118 feet), Helvellyn is a difference the third highest peak in . Other A major industrial legacy based on lead together landmarks include Catstye Cam, Brown mining is reflected in archaeological n Working with partners and Cove and Red Tarn, while on land to the features across the landscape, such as the local people to monitor the north, the Lake District Ski Club runs a ski- Stang End chimney and the Keppel Cove Common’s rare species such tow on the flanks of Raise. water leat (artificial channel) and dam. as mountain ringlet butterflies The Trust took on management of Glenridding Common is part of a and increasing populations of Exploring Glenridding Common in 2017, following Special Area of Conservation and Site arctic-alpine plants including a positive consultation with local and of Special Scientific Interest. Helvellyn growing and replanting cuttings Glenridding national stakeholders. We aim to work is important for glacial and periglacial taken from rare sub-arctic Common with others to protect and enhance the geomorphology. Its high altitude crags downy willows on the crags. The main routes to Helvellyn ecosystem while respecting the area’s and coves provide a refuge for rare n Working with the British summit from Glenridding and cultural traditions. arctic-alpine flora. Additional biological interest includes large stands of juniper Council and run along Swirral Edge scrub woodland, a variety of montane others on a winter conditions to the north of Red Tarn and the and upland heath, grassland and flush monitoring system for ice more challenging Striding Edge communities, and two high-level climbers, that will help protect to the south. A circular route nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) tarns. the rare arctic-alpine plants on ascending along Striding Edge Red Tarn is one of four sites containing the Red Tarn face of Helvellyn. and descending via Swirral Edge the rare and endemic schelley fish. is popular among experienced hill n Following the 2015 floods walkers. To avoid the steep ‘edges’ in Glenridding, working a route to the summit can be taken with the community’s Flood via and Whiteside. Management Group and helping facilitate any practical From Thirlmere in the west, there work agreed by the community. are shorter, steeper routes to the summit, which offer a magnificent n Asking visitors and wild view across Glenridding Common, campers to leave no trace, keep with its plunging cliff-line and dogs under control (especially steep arêtes that connect a chain at lambing and bird nesting of lesser peaks and glacial tarns time), carry out all forms of nestled beneath imposing crags. waste and return any stones moved around campsites to The map on the leaflet is not PHOTOGRAPH: ELA DZIMITKO PHOTOGRAPH: Helvellyn’s high altitude crags and coves provide a refuge for arctic-alpine flora like those pictured here: Sheep browsing in Kepple Cove. Striding Edge in winter. their original position. (l-r) mossy saxifrage, downy willow and purple saxifrage. intended for navigation.