Dark Skies Cumbria
Kendal, Cumbria
Our Story
Cumbria has some of the darkest skies in the UK – making it one of the few places in the country where the awe-inspiring Milky Way is still visible. Dark skies not only reveal the phenomenal wonder of the stars but they are also critical for the health of nocturnal wildlife.
Sadly, light pollution in Cumbria is growing year on year. Traditional streetlights are one of the causes of increasing light pollution, along with consuming energy which also contributes to our carbon footprint.
The initiative arose with the aim to reduce light pollution in Cumbria, in collaboration with Cumbria County Council, Friends of the Lake District and Thorn Lighting UK Ltd.
Our Solution
In partnership with Cumbria County Council, we will be piloting NightTune LED street lights at five locations in Alston, Warcop, Dent, Glenridding and Ambleside, where lighting was due to be upgraded and/or is situated in a sensitive location. Each site has been selected to cover a diversity of communities and landscape settings, in areas bidding for Dark Skies landscape status nationally – the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks and North Pennines AONB.
The lanterns will emit a blend of white and amber light which can be automatically adjusted to suit the time of night and level of traffic on the road. Visibility for drivers and pedestrians is not affected by the blended light colour. The lanterns deliver light focused at ground level preventing light pollution up into the night sky with no visibility of the LED, reducing any potential for glare.
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