Wool-Based Path Repair Cost £22K For 150 Metres

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.