An interesting story on Cumbria
Online today, which illustrates just how much it costs to restore
footpaths.
Ostensibly the article is about how the Ramblers Association,
bless their red socks, has come up with a £4,500 grant towards
repair costs of two paths in the Lakes. The real eye-opener though,
is the quoted cost for repairing a 150-metre section of path at
Crummock
Water, which comes in at a cool £22,000.
The Crummock Water path was spreading across an important wetland
habitat and becoming very boggy in places, says the report. Walkers
avoiding the boggy patches were widening the erosion and damaging
vegetation.
The path repair used an innovative technique where contractors
Making Trax have 'floated' a stone path on a thick mat made of sheep
fleece. According to 'Fix The Fells', time will tell how successful
the technique is, but for now it seems to be working. Another use for
wool then... But n ot a cheap one.
The path at Wansfell
near Ambleside, one of the most popular in the Lakes was also badly
eroded and had developed a one metre deep erosion trench. The cost of
repairing a 350-metre stretch of the path was £19,000.
Some of the path rebuilding is financed by the Lottery, but their
grants have to be matched by the National Park Authority and
partners, so donations are always needed. You can find out more
information and make a donation at the Fix
The Fells web site.
