On Friday 24th March the Field Studies Council officially welcomed the Mountain Heritage Trust to a new base at the Blencathra Centre. The launch featured speeches from Mountaineer Doug Scott CBE, Professor Tim Burt (President, Field Studies Council), Tim Foster (Head of Blencathra Centre), Nick Colton (Deputy CEO, British Mountaineering Council), and Jeff Ford (Chair, Mountain Heritage Trust). Phil Houghton, Cumbrian poet, read a specially commissioned poem for the opening.

We are delighted with our new location at the Blencathra Centre. It will be a fitting base for us to work alongside the Field Studies Council, and will be the main location for our mountaineering history collections. It will also be an excellent opportunity to engage with the young people who visit the centre and enrich their understanding of mountains through the interpretation of and delving into this fabulous archive. Many consider the Lake District to be the birthplace of British climbing, and this collaboration will facilitate the development of a hub for mountain learning and enjoyment. The move was funded through a legacy donation received via the BMC and a grant from the Mercers’ Company.

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Chair of the Mountain Heritage Trust Trustees – Jeff Ford says, “It is a relief to be able to put such a valuable set of items into wonderful new premises at Blencathra.  This will mean that many more people will be able to access the documents, photos, films and objects.  We hope to see many people visiting the collection in the future.”

Head of Blencathra Field Studies Centre, Tim Foster says “The most natural place in Britain to locate the MHT collections are with us on the slopes of the much loved Blencathra. Many of the students taking part in activities here will be able to look at the items, which they were not able to do when it was in Penrith.  We are delighted to have them with us”.

We’ve had great media coverage about our new home from the BMC, UK Climbing, BBC Radio Cumbria, BBC Look North, and Trail magazine.