Improving Prospect? A History of Agricultural Change in Cumbria

Cumbria is a very varied county with coastal plains, river valleys, the Pennine edge and the Lakeland fells. It has a strong sense of cohesion and common ground. Farming in the county has improved over the centuries, and yet this is a subject curiously under-discussed in the existing literature. In this book, Dr David Johnson uses documentary and contemporary sources to argue that there has been visible improvement in Cumbria's farming. Starting with a discussion of the region's geology, topography, climate and soils, he gives a chronological account of the development of farming in the region, ending with a discussion of the ways in which farming in Cumbria has improved over time. This book will appeal to agricultural historians, as well as those interested in rural life, local residents and tourists.