We are proud to be members of the Lake District Foundation or Nurture Lakeland a charitable organisation which promotes responsible tourism and helps fundraising for various projects around the Lake District.
The beneficiaries of our donations and those of our guests is Fix the Fells.
We hope that all our guests help us support this very worthwhile cause which works to maintain our magnificent landscape for everyone’s benefit. This has become even more important following the recent unprecedented rainfall and damage caused to the Lakeland environment over the past few years.
Many visitors to the beautiful Lake District enjoying the stunning landscape by using the many paths which crisscross the region. Repairing and maintaining this ancient network of mountain paths is an all-weather task and many of them have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. On some of them, you can literally be walking in the footsteps of Neolithic stone axe makers, Roman Legionaries, Medieval pack horsemen, Victorian miners or farmers from any era.
Despite their age, these paths need help. The combination of millions of feet and the Lake District’s weather means that erosion is a constant problem. This is nothing new, we have records from the early 1800’s of users complaining about the state of the paths. In the past, the paths were looked after by their users – miners, farmers and others. Now a combination of National Trust fell rangers and Lake District National Park Authority volunteers work throughout the year to repair and maintain these paths using traditional techniques such as sheep fleeces and stone-pitching, combining these with modern techniques that include using helicopters to transport stone.
Fix the Fells has repaired over 200 sections of paths in the last ten years. Over the next ten years they aim to repair a further 120 paths, whilst continuing to maintain the existing network through use of quality and sustainable solutions and a combination of prevention and restoration techniques. And there is even more….Fix the Fells helps to protect the local ecology and heritage. The Lake District is full of rare plant species that are vulnerable to damage when people walk on them. By repairing and maintaining the paths, people are less likely to stray onto this vegetation and harm it. Preventing erosion reduces the volume of soil going into our rivers and streams which in turn improves the water quality.
Peat soils are are important carbon stores and our work to retain peat on the paths is vital for the mission to reduce carbon emissions.
Our wish is to protect and enhance our spectacular Lakeland Fells through maintaining and improving the path network – your support also helps with this.
So how can you help?
We simply ask that you add the £2 optional donation when making your booking. We will then pass all of this on to Fix the Fells AND add a significant donation ourselves based on the amount you kindly donate.
Thank you so much for your support – it is greatly appreciated!
To learn more about Fix the Fells and the fabulous work your donation is supporting please click here
