Do you have memories or photos of Fell Foot Park on Windermere from times gone by? If so, the National Trust would love to hear from you.
From playing in the ruins of the demolished house in the 1940s to camping and caravanning in the 60s and 70s, the team at Fell Foot has already been sent some fantastic stories and photos from both locals and visitors. Interviewees have been from as far afield as the Outer Hebrides and New Zealand and others a lot closer to home; including a number who have been so influenced by their happy experiences at Fell Foot that they’ve moved to the area (a couple of whom now work there!)
But the team are on the lookout for more people to participate – these recollections have already helped to build a vibrant picture of what the park was like and how it’s changed over the years. The team is hoping to retell some of the stories to today’s visitors through guided tours and events, with the aim of eventually building up an archive of recorded interviews to store in the British Library’s Sound Archive.
“Fell Foot has always been a great place to visit and loved by local people,” says Volunteering and Community Involvement Manager, Kelley Sproston-Heath.
“The project is helping to relive some memories of visiting Fell Foot and thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we’ll be able to create an archive of experiences which are unrecorded at the moment. It’s brilliant to be able to learn, share and record the stories which lie within the history of the park.”
Do you have memories of Fell Foot, in particular from any time after it was gifted to the National Trust in 1948? If you would like to share anything please get in touch with Kelley by emailing [email protected] or calling 015395 31273. The Oral History Project began in October 2018 and will end in October this year, culminating in an exhibition.
