▁maintained ▁in ▁his ▁later ▁years ▁that ▁Pot ter ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁real ▁love ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁life . ▁ ▁Camp aign ing ▁against ▁railway ▁development ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁parliament ary ▁appro val ▁was ▁given ▁for ▁a ▁scheme ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁railway ▁line ▁through ▁the ▁New lands ▁Valley ▁to ▁carry ▁sl ate ▁from ▁quar ries ; ▁the ▁valley ▁was , ▁and ▁is , ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁and ▁tran qu il ▁in ▁the ▁Lake ▁District . ▁A ▁rival ▁scheme ▁was ▁proposed , ▁to ▁run ▁between ▁En ner dale ▁Water ▁and ▁the ▁coast . ▁Ra wn s ley ▁spe ar head ed ▁a ▁campaign ▁to ▁stop ▁both . ▁Rus kin ▁gave ▁his ▁support , ▁although ▁after ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁his ▁Th irl m ere ▁campaign ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁optim istic ▁about ▁the ▁outcome . ▁Ra wn s ley ▁held ▁meet ings , ▁lo bb ied ▁ass id u ously ▁and ▁wrote ▁pro l ific ally ▁to ▁legisl ators ▁and ▁newsp apers . ▁In ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁The ▁Standard ▁he ▁said : ▁ ▁Ra wn s ley ▁founded ▁the ▁Der w ent water ▁and ▁Bor row dale ▁Def ence ▁Committee ▁and ▁en list ed ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Commons ▁Pres ervation ▁Society ▁and ▁the ▁K yr le ▁Society , ▁two ▁established ▁campaign ing ▁conservation ▁organis ations ▁head ed ▁by ▁well - known ▁figures ▁including ▁Oct avia ▁and ▁Mir anda ▁Hill , ▁George ▁Shaw ▁Le fe vre , ▁James ▁Bry ce ▁and ▁Robert ▁Hunter . ▁The ▁public ▁paid