The Environment

John Ruskin was one of the greatest figures of the Victorian age. Poet, artist and critic, he was also a social revolutionary who challenged the moral foundations of Nineteenth Century Britain. A pioneering conservationist, Ruskin clearly understood the damage that man was causing to the natural environment. From his study at Brantwood he recorded the climatic impact of pollution and he foresaw what we now know as the “greenhouse effect” more than one hundred years ago.

Ruskin’s accuracy was chilling and prophetic. His ideas have shaped much of our thinking today and his words are as relevant now as ever they were in his own lifetime.

Ruskin was a pioneering eco-warrior, campaigning against pollution by industry because of its effect on the climate, some 150 years ago. He was very much against Capitalism and greed, promoting sustainable lifestyles and self-sufficiency. His personal credo was "There is no wealth but life".  You can find out about these things at Brantwood, where the gardens and estate bear testimony to his ideals, and at The Ruskin Museum. A contemporary interpretation can be found at Lawson Park, (once part of Ruskin's estate and situated above Brantwood), where Grizedale Arts is putting many of Ruskin's ideals into action.

Coniston has Fair Trade status. Its independent Co-op practises Ruskin's ideals, as does the butchers, Hutchinsons.