Costs to save beautiful Ruskin's View at Kirkby Lonsdale spiral

When a campaign to save Ruskin’s View in Kirkby Lonsdale was launched last year, the cost of the extensive repairs was estimated at £1 million and there was a hope that the work could begin this summer.

Now, months on, the town council, which owns The Brow, is facing a bill which could total around £2.5 million and the realisation that the repairs might not start until next summer.

In the meantime, access to the beauty spot, famously painted by Turner and whose view was described by Ruskin as ‘one of the loveliest in England, therefore in the world’, remains closed off.

“For a small community of 2,000 people, this is one of the biggest challenges that it has faced,” said town council deputy chair, Allan Muirhead.

“We can’t expect the local community alone to find the kind of money which is being estimated.”

Despite this, residents have already accepted a doubling of the precept they pay to the town council as part of their council tax which totals £100,000 over two years. A further £30,000 has also been pledged by supporters.

A fundraising team has been set up to organise events and a Friends of Ruskin’s View group has been established. Other initiatives include a special beer produced by Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery and the sale of branded hoodies, t-shirts and bags in the town’s visitor information centre.

However, no work can start until at least £2 million has been raised as the contractors have to be paid up front and, in the current economic climate, they are estimating that the cost could rise by a further 10-20% by the time repairs begin.

With such large sums to raise, a bid is being prepared to the Heritage Lottery Fund and approaches made to local benefactors and trusts as well as the Turner Society and Ruskin Society which have a global reach.

“A lot of patience and understanding is being shown by people who want things to get back to normal,” said Coun Muirhead.

Among those concerned at the limited access are people wanting to visit relatives’ graves in the nearby churchyard which is currently only open for two hours a week.

Tourists to the town are also expressing disappointment at being unable to fully enjoy the area with some cutting their stays or not making return visits which could impact the local economy.

And some people, annoyed at a short cut between town and the rugby club being cordoned off, are taking their lives into their hands.

“We’re still hearing horror stories of people getting over the barriers and climbing over walls to get from A to B, putting their lives at risk,” said Coun Muirhead.

“Although the area might look benign, it’s extremely dangerous.”

The technical challenge of repairing Ruskin’s View is immense and can only be undertaken between June and September, to adhere to Environment Agency rules.

Access to Ruskin’s View has been closed since September 2021 after erosion from floods caused the riverbank to become unstable, making the viewpoints and footpath unsafe.

More information for anyone wishing to support the fundraising campaign is available at kirkbylonsdaletowncouncil.org.uk