Forty Fells Exhibition

Conversations about change in the Lake District mountains

24 Oct 2026 to 24 Jan 2027

Since the dawn of prehistory people have lived, worked and played in the Lake District fells, finding in them inspiration, adventure, sport, wealth and freedom.

In this follow-up to the award-winning Forty Farms exhibition and book, International Photography Awards winner Tom McNally and Lakeland Book of the year winner David Felton embark on a unique collaboration to record the stories – ancient and modern – of forty fells in Cumbria.

Stories of the first settlers, who crafted axes from Pike o’ Stickle greenstone; of climbers from the golden age of mountaineering on Great Gable; of Romans at isolated Hard Knott; of campaigners who secured access onto Latrigg; and of the many people who work and live in the fells today.

With photographic profiles of shepherds on the Loweswater gather, endurance athletes on the Winter Spine, hostel life at England’s loneliest house and ecologists nurturing the Borrowdale rainforest, Forty Fells is a visual record of the Cumbrian uplands at a time of profound change

The purpose:

• To record the remarkable stories – ancient and modern – of forty fells in Cumbria, from Scafell Pike to Pillar, Cat Bells to Blencathra, Helvellyn to Haystacks.

• To explore the big issues playing out in the Cumbrian uplands: issues like land use change, nature loss (and recovery), the perilous business of hill farming, rising visit numbers and ’social honeypotting’, climate breakdown and access.

• To reveal the human stories in this iconic landscape through conversations with farmers, fell-runners and foresters; Wainwright-baggers, deer stalkers and authors; climbers, conservationists and carol singers.

• To celebrate the value placed on the Cumbrian fells by tens of millions of locals and visitors.

• To seek to answer the question: ‘What will the Forty Fells look like four, 40… and 400 years from now?

This body of work will create:

• An immersive and evocative photography exhibition with large-format images supported by film, words, sound and exhibits, including everything from historic Mountain Rescue stretchers through stone age axes from Lakeland’s first settlers to never-before-seen Bob Graham logs.

• The exhibition will feature over 120 photos and will attract in excess of 45,000 visitors

• A gorgeous hardback book featuring 350+ pages of images and text.

• A programme of talks and creative workshops at Rheged supporting the theme of the exhibition delivered by a range of enthusiasts and experts.

Rheged is ideally placed to host Forty Fells:

Its award-winning Gallery has hosted over 60 high-quality exhibitions.

It hosted the award-winning precursor to Forty Fells, Forty Farms, which received 45,000–50,000 visits.

Located at the Northern gateway to the Lakes and just off the M6 (J40) with free parking and an ultra-rapid EV hub, ensures high footfall from both visitors on holiday and the local community.

It champions innovation in Cumbria, with a focus on landscape, culture, local people, food and innovation.

A lecture theatre, cinema and creative learning space can support the events programme to run alongside this exhibition.

How can you get involved:

We are getting in touch to offer an opportunity to be a partner in this exhibition.

The Forty Fells book is self-financing. However, the cost of turning the book into a high-quality exhibition and marketing it to ensure it receives excellent footfall, will cost circa £40,000.

To ensure as many people as possible see the exhibition, it is proposed to make this a free exhibition. A proportion of sales of photography and books will be allocated to fund the exhibition; however this will not be enough to cover the cost. We would love your organisation, to be a partner in this high-profile exhibition.

Gold Package

£4000

(LEAD PARTNER, LIMITED TO 4 BUSINESSES)

Here’s what’s included:

Key Partner in the marketing campaign for the Forty Fells Exhibition which will include your company name and logo on adverts in Cumbria life and a press release to regional press, a social media post which positions you as a partner of the exhibition and your logo on the display screen in the Rheged foyer, dedicated to the exhibition.

The exhibition will be a key feature with lead partners in our Events Guide which will be distributed to 15-20,000 homes in North Cumbria at the beginning of October, just before the Exhibition opens, with a further 10,000 copies availablein the Centre

Provision of tailored photography and content to use in your digital marketing which connects your business with the relevant themes in the Forty Fells exhibition

Host an evening reception in the Gallery during the Forty Fells exhibition on an evening when Rheged is open. This could be a thank you for your customers, a networking event or as an event for colleagues. This will include a talk by either Tom McNally or Dave Felton

Free use of one of Rheged’s new meeting rooms for a full or half day meeting for up to 40 people. Includes tea, coffee and cake

Four free cinema tickets per month for 12 months to a film of your choice at Rheged

Company name and logo on the introduction wall to the exhibition

Company name and logo on the dedicated page for the exhibition on Rheged’s website on the page

Company name and logo on a dedicated email about the exhibition to 50,000 Rheged customer and subscribers with a 50% open rate

4 signed copies of the Forty Fells hardback book

10 tickets to the VIP preview and opening

6 complimentary tickets to the talks programme which is running alongside the Forty Fells exhibition, at Rheged, covering the Cumbrian Fells today

Silver Package

£2000

Here’s what’s included:

Company name and logo on the introduction wall to the exhibition
Company name and logo on the dedicated page for the exhibition on Rheged’s website on the page
Company name and logo on a dedicated email about the exhibition to 50,000 Rheged customer and subscribers
Free use of one of Rheged’s new meeting rooms for a full or half day meeting for up to 15 people. Includes tea, coffee and cake
Two free cinema tickets per month for 12 months to a film of your choice at Rheged
3 signed copy of the Forty Fells hardback book
6 tickets to the VIP preview and opening
4 tickets to the talks programme which is running alongside the Forty Fells exhibition at Rheged covering the Cumbrian fells today

Bronze Package

£500

Here’s what’s included:

Company name and logo on the introduction wall to the exhibition
Company name and logo on a dedicated email about the exhibition to 50,000 Rheged customer and subscribers
2 signed copy of the Forty Fells hardback book
4 tickets to the VIP preview and opening
2 tickets to the talks programme which is running alongside the Forty Fells exhibition at Rheged covering the Cumbrian fells today