▁he ed , ▁and ▁protest s ▁became ▁so ▁w ides p read ▁and ▁so ▁strong ▁that ▁the ▁schemes ▁were ▁dropped . ▁Griff ith s ▁writes ▁that ▁although ▁by ▁no ▁means ▁sole ly ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁successful ▁outcome ▁of ▁the ▁campaign , ▁Ra wn s ley ▁" bec ame ▁a ▁local ▁and ▁national ▁hero ▁almost ▁over night , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁landscape ▁pres ervation ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁fore ". ▁ ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁campaign ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Lake ▁District ▁Def ence ▁Society ▁( l ater ▁to ▁become ▁The ▁Fri ends ▁of ▁the ▁Lake ▁District ). ▁Ra wn s ley ▁proposed ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁organisation ▁at ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁Word sw orth ▁Society ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 . ▁He ▁maintained ▁that ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁Word sw orth ' s ▁literary ▁her itage ▁it ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁landscape ▁that ▁had ▁inspired ▁him . ▁The ▁stated ▁aim ▁of ▁the ▁society ▁was ▁" to ▁protect ▁the ▁Lake ▁District ▁from ▁those ▁inj ur ious ▁enc ro ach ments ▁upon ▁its ▁scen ery ▁which ▁are ▁from ▁time ▁to ▁time ▁attempted ▁from ▁purely ▁commercial ▁or ▁spec ulative ▁mot ives , ▁without ▁regard ▁to ▁its ▁claim ▁as ▁a ▁national ▁recre ation ▁ground ". ▁Besides ▁Ra wn s ley , ▁founder - members ▁included ▁Rus kin , ▁Robert ▁Brow ning , ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁West min ster ▁and ▁Alfred , ▁Lord ▁T enn ys on , ▁with ▁whom ▁Ra wn s ley ▁had ▁a ▁family ▁connection . ▁As