The impact on the historic environment

The National Park’s intricate network of dry stone walls, traditional stone-built field barns, exceptional archaeology and legacy of former industries are also likely to be affected by changes in climate.

Potential climate change impacts include:

• warmer wetter conditions exacerbating damage to structures and features for example from water intrusion, mould growth and dampness, as well as wind and rain damage increasingly affecting historic buildings after storm events

• archaeological remains being affected by drier conditions for example the loss of palaeoenvironmental evidence due to peat drying and a loss of archaeological deposit as soils shrink

• warmer wetter conditions in the winter and an increase in flood events leading to a loss of archaeological resource by damaging earthworks or underground sediments

• indirect impact of the increased demand for, and use of, historically significant mining spoil to mend or resurface tracks affected by flooding

Historic environment elements of the Entry Level and Higher Level Environmental Stewardship schemes; good practice guidance on caring for ancient buildings, the Authority’s planning policy, and specific pieces of work related to mining spoil, such as the Grassington Moor management plan, are current activities that are tackling the issue of climate change impacts on the historic environment.