Lucy’s Wood

Lucy’s wood was planted by the previous owners of Crookwath, Richard and Gina Farncombe in memory of their daughter. When Lucy Farncombe died in 1996, age 17, she asked her parents to plant a woodland in her memory. All these years later, visitors explore a maze of paths through maturing deciduous trees, are surprised by quirky carvings and thought-provoking inscriptions, and enjoy the all-pervasive chuckle of water, catching glimpses of wildlife and being enchanted by birdsong. It is a place to treasure, not just because of its association with Lucy, but because of the value it has added to the landscape. Otters and roe deer pass through the plant-rich habitat. Snipe, woodcock, great crested newts, toads and dragonflies have all found their niche here.

Although Lucy’s Wood will always be associated with the death of Richard & Gina’s daughter, it is not a melancholy place. Indeed, the converse is true. The contrast with the wet fellside on which it was created could not be happier. It has taken on a momentum and life of its own. The woodland is a jewel set in history. Lucy’s Wood lies within a cultural landscape. It is overlooked by terraces high on the nearby Matterdale fellside where potatoes were grown during the last war. It has an intimate history of its own. Different successions of plants and animals have moved in over time.