"The Lake District is a wildlife desert" according to GOerge Monbiot of the Guardian. I don't agree with that at all but there's acertain truth to the fact that the landscape in the Lakes is a creation of centuries of sheep farming, something now that can only really survive with heavy subsidies.
The same could be said of the Dales too and, in fact, I was having that exact conversation the other day. For sure the Lakes is stunning and has tons of wildlife, whatever George says, but is it natural and does it deserve world heritage status in its current form?