Earl who tried to sell one of the Lake District’s most famous mountains to pay tax bill dies after short illness, age 72

• The 8th Earl of Lonsdale Hugh Lowther died aged 72 last Tuesday after illness 
• He made the headlines in 2014 when he tried to sell a mountain to pay tax bill 
• The Earl put the famous Blencathra, near Keswick, on the market for £1.75 million

An Earl who tried to sell one of the Lake District’s most famous mountains to pay off a tax bill has died after a short illness.

The 8th Earl of Lonsdale Hugh Lowther died aged 72 last Tuesday, his family have confirmed.

The Earl made headlines in 2014 by putting the mountain of Blencathra, near Keswick, on the market for £1.75 million to help settle a £9 million family inheritance tax bill.

A Lowther Estates spokesman said: ‘Hugh will be sadly missed by many.’

Lord Lonsdale has no sons capable of inheriting his titles and his half-brother, William James Lowther, 63, succeeds to the earldom.

Blencathra, also known as Saddleback, had been owned by his family for 400 years but an inheritance tax bill left him with no option in 2014 but sell it.

Hugh Lowther, the eighth Earl of Lonsdale, who has died aged 72 following a short illness

He caused controversy in 2014 when he tried to sell off Blencathra, one of the most northerly mountains in the Lake District, at a price of £1.75m

Community group Friends of Blencathra attempted to buy the mountain but only raised about £246,000.

Mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, broadcaster Melvyn Bragg and adventurer and television presenter Ben Fogle supported the group’s bid.

At the time, the Earl stressed selling Blencathra was the only alternative to breaking up the family’s historic estate.

He said: ‘We don’t want to make inroads into the core of the estate.

‘And we don’t want to have to evict tenanted farmers and other tenants and what have you from their houses so we can sell them.’

In 2016, the Earl withdrew Blencathra from sale after finding other options to pay the tax bill.

Speaking in 2016, he said: ‘It will remain in the Lowther family for generations to come.’

In 2018 Friends of Blencathra returned thousands of pounds it received in donations – giving a portion to other charities.

A report by the Charity Commission found £166,426 had been returned, minus a £6 administration charge for each donation.

The remainder, including cash people did not want back or money from unidentified donors, was distributed to five local charities.

They were Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, Fix the Fells, Friends of the Lake District, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, and Mountain Heritage Trust.

Blencathra, known as Saddleback due to its distinctive shape, is one of the most northerly hills in the English Lake District

Tracy Howarth, from the Charity Commission, said at the time: ‘The trustees and donors clearly had the best of intentions to protect an area close to their hearts.

‘Their community and voluntary spirit should be commended.’

Blencathra, known as Saddleback due to its distinctive shape, is one of the most northerly hills in the English Lake District.

It has six separate ‘fells’ – or peaks – of which the highest is the Hallsfell Top at 2,848ft (868m).

Lake District writer Alfred Wainwright described it as ‘one of the grandest objects in Lakeland and one of the best known’.

Lord Lonsdale inherited the peak, which covers an area of 2,676 acres, from his father in 2006. 

On a clear day, it gives view over to the Isle of Man and North Wales. 

Blencathra’s reputation as a tourist attraction has its roots in the 18th century, when people would travel by horseback or carriage along the new Penrith to Keswick turnpike road to enjoy the spectacular views.

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