<P> Farming, and in particular sheep farming, has been the major industry in the region since Roman times . The breed most closely associated with the area is the tough Herdwick, with Rough Fell and Swaledale sheep also common . Sheep farming remains important both for the economy of the region and for preserving the landscape which visitors want to see . Features such as dry stone walls, for example, are there as a result of sheep farming . Some land is also used for silage and dairy farming . </P> <P> The area was badly affected by the outbreak of foot - and - mouth disease across the United Kingdom in 2001 . The outbreak started in Surrey in February, but had spread to Cumbria by end of March . Thousands of sheep, include the native Herdwicks which graze on the fellsides across the district, were destroyed . In replacing the sheep, one problem to overcome was that many of the lost sheep were heafed, that is, they knew their part of the unfenced fell and did not stray, with this knowledge being passed between generations . With all the sheep lost at once, this knowledge has to be relearnt and some of the fells have had discreet electric fences strung across them for a period of five years, to allow the sheep to "re-heaf". At the time of the outbreak, worries existed about the future of certain species of sheep such as Ryeland and Herdwick in the district, however these fears have been allayed and sheep now occupy the district in abundance . </P> <P> Forestry has also assumed greater importance over the course of the last century with the establishment of extensive conifer plantations around Whinlatter Pass, in Ennerdale and at Grizedale Forest amongst other places . There are extensive plantations of non-native pine trees . </P> <P> With its wealth of rock types and their abundance in the landscape, mining and quarrying have long been significant activities in the Lake District economy . In Neolithic times, the Lake District was a major source of stone axes, examples of which have been found all over Britain . The primary site, on the slopes of the Langdale Pikes, is sometimes described as a "stone axe factory" of the Langdale axe industry . Some of the earliest stone circles in Britain are connected with this industry . </P>

Human and physical features of the lake district