In September, Cumbria Wildlife Trust announced that they had bought the 3000 acres of National Park that surrounds Skiddaw House. Their 100 year plan is to return a 620 acre Atlantic rainforest to the area, restore peat bog land and hope to see more wildlife thrive on the fells.
Is Skiddaw House included in the purchase? No. It remains in private ownership and is leased to the Skiddaw House Foundation, a Charitable Trust, who run it as a simple off-grid independent hostel affiliated to the YHA. The Foundation fully supports Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s purchase of this land and its plans for enhancing this remote and special landscape.
What does this mean for the future of the hostel? The Skiddaw House Foundation are currently in talks with the hostel owner to extend the lease beyond 2027.
Find out more about the future of Skiddaw Forest here: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/faqs/skiddaw-forest
Find out more about Skiddaw House Hostel