Kendal Civic Society

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Garth Heads

Garth heads is a medieval lane running across the fellside from Captain French Lane to Beast Banks. It is on a geological fault-line and is consequently very fragile. There have been two spectacular collapses in the past three years and it is such an important part of Kendal’s history that the Society has long been involved with its preservation.

In 1992, planning permission was granted on a site towards the Captain French Lane end of Garth Heads, below Aireycliffeand it's 1750s  summerhouse, with the stipulation that all work had to be done by hand-barrowing. Enough minor work was done within the next five years to ensure that the permission remained valid.

Garth Heads progress

Activity - Garth Heads

In August Garth Heads, the subject of the 'Total Lack of Progress Report' was again raised - the state of the lane surface and, indeed, its whole deplorable scruffiness, with rank weeds, fallen walls and overgrowing ivy.

A letter was sent to the Area Engineer, Keith Masser, Area Engineer for South Lakeland at Cumbria County Council Highways Dept., requesting some action.  As far back as 1995, Cumbria County Council were considering resurfacing but, apart from the setts at either end, nothing has been done.

Efforts will also be made, yet again, to have the aborted development site tidied up and the wall stones removed from the lane. Mr Masser, has replied to our letter and is willing to meet with representatives of the Society but stresses that Cumbria County Council is only responsible for the surface of the lane. A date has been arranged!

 

Garth Heads Single Dwelling

Activity - Garth Heads

Planning Application

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Garth Heads - Development starts and stops

Activity - Garth Heads

No further work took place on the application site until July 2008, when a developer who had bought the site in 2007, began clearing the trees. In spite of warnings, he moved an excavator and diggers down the lane and started to dig out the site which is just below Aireycliffe and its 1750s Summerhouse. By dint of much pressure on the authorities by the Civic Society and concerned residents of Garth Heads, all work was stopped and the machinery withdrawn, leaving an unsightly hole. The developer now has to apply to have Garth Heads (still a highway, U752, and public right of way) closed to pedestrians.

The Society would prefer not to see building take place here but, since permission was granted 16 years ago, we are not objecting to the development. What we fear is irremediable damage to this ancient trackway through the movement of heavy and prohibited machinery. A new application recently submitted for a single dwelling on the site has been rejected as invalid.

Digger parked on Garth Heads  Digger operating on Garth Heads 

Minidigger on Garth Heads site  

Digger 'stuck' on Garth Heads