COUNTRY LIFE
Defence of the Lakes The Lake district of England is a national playing ground, a scenic reserve, glorious in itself and its associations. It is the English Banff, that most splendid of national parks. We cannot, of course, convert the whole of the Lakes into a park. The pica for a national reserve at Dovedale has much to recommend it ; but " the Lakes," in the full sense of the term, are too spacious for such a scheme. They can nevertheless be in some degree reserved for the sake of all who have a touch of the Wordsworth spirit. The Town Planni o Act of 1932 gives the chance ; but the trouble is, as always, the smallness of the unit which fathers the plan. Lord Milner, who was a pioneer in district planning (in Kent), spent most of his efforts in persuading a dozen or more District Councils to co-operate. It was a work of Hercules. The R.D.C.'s are much too small ; and now in the Lakes, as in Devon and Cornwall, even the county is found too small for any comprehensive plan. For this reason friends of the Lakes have founded a Lake District Reserve Committee. The Lords Lieutenant of Lancashire and Westmorland and the High Sheriff of Cumberland are among the organizers of this association of friends of the Lakes. They desire ultimately to obtain powers for making one great reserve scheme, but will work for the time being on behalf of more local regional plans. Everyone will wish them success. The threat to the Lakes is imminent and serious. Membership of the Association is secured by the agency of half a crown sent to the Hon. Secretary, Sawrey House, via Ambleside.
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