It was after a visit in 1875 that Ruskin described the view over the River Lune from the churchyard of St Mary’s in Kirkby Lonsdale as “one of the loveliest in England, therefore in the world”.

In September 2021, the area was deemed unsafe to the public due to the erosion of footpaths and was forced to close. A campaign called 'Save Ruskin's View' has been created with the aim to fundraise the £1,000,000 needed to reopen the paths. £150,000 has been raised so far.7 Nov 2023