Wow. Today was full of anticipation in the Lakes, as we waited for the result of the latest World Heritage bid.

After keeping an eye on the UNESCO Twitter feed on and off all day, this afternoon I headed to the compost heap, and when I returned the Lake District had become a UNESCO World Heritage Site! (Turns out my compost experiment from two years ago hasn’t really worked out, so I hope nobody wants to inspect it…)

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you may have read my last post asking whether in its latest attempt, the Lake District would receive World Heritage status. I talked about what World Heritage status actually means, and discussed some of the potential benefits and drawbacks.

I really enjoyed writing that post because it gave me the chance to sit back and really reflect on how the beautiful Lakeland landscape came to be, and what role it has had in both historic arts and culture, and the story of environmental conservation.

I hope that one of the biggest things to come out of World Heritage will be for this story to be presented in an ever clearer and more co-ordinated way to everyone visiting the Lakes. The Lake District’s history and development is fascinating, and one of the greatest pleasures in writing a blog about the Lakes is that the more I learn about the area, the more I enjoy living in and exploring it.

What an achievement for all the individuals and organisations who have been working towards the bid – many congratulations to them!

And if you didn’t read my post about how the Lake District bid for cultural World Heritage status, do take a look!

What do you think of the Lake District’s new UNESCO World Heritage Status? As always, it’s great to hear your own opinions. Share your thoughts with me, and other readers, by leaving a comment below!