Volunteers for Fix the Fells spent more than 3000 days maintaining upland paths in the Lake District last year.
The team undertakes regular patrols and maintenance of all paths in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, protecting the fragile upland landscapes and ensuring clear passage for walkers enjoying the beautiful scenery.
The Lake District attracts 19 million visitors a year, which means there are many boots on the ground walking across the fells. As Fix the Fells volunteer Jeremy Pugh explains, it’s this initial damage which can lead to greater erosion if not maintained.
He said: “Initially walkers walking on the grass will kill it, and once soil is exposed it’s mother nature that does the rest. Heavy rainfall creates a groove where boots have walked and where water then flows. Storms can also gouge out the ground and form a gulley which spreads. Walkers then avoid the water, killing more grass and that’s how you get big scars in the environment.
“Keeping the path and drainage clear keeps walkers on the path and water off it.”
Without the work of Fix the Fells, erosion would develop rapidly resulting in loss of vegetation, soil, stone, habitats, species and landscape beauty, and adversely affecting rivers, lakes and the flood-risk in the valleys below.
Jeremy said: “Fix the Fells rangers and volunteers build drains to take water away from the path, remove stones from drains and rubble from the path to keep it clear.”
Annie Duckworth, Fix the Fells Ranger, said: “Volunteers are an absolutely vital part of Fix the Fells. They undertake a huge number of different tasks and duties from monitoring erosion rates and writing reports, through to clearing drains on pitched paths and assisting our Rangers with erosion repair work in the High Fells.
“We employ 20 skilled Rangers who work on the High Fells between April and November undertaking the large path building projects, and we have 130 volunteers who support them all year round. We are privileged to have such a great bunch of volunteers who are willing to head out into the hills in all weathers to clear blocked drains, build paths and engage with people all across the Lake District.
“In 2024 we achieved a record-breaking 3000 days of volunteer time. We certainly couldn’t monitor and maintain all 400 paths each year without this vital contribution.
“Our volunteers are a great bunch and it’s a joy to work alongside such a committed group of individuals all playing our part to ensure the Lake District Fells are cared for and maintained now and for future generations to come.”
Jeremy explained working on paths on a busy, sunny Saturday recently only reinforced the need for Fix the Fells maintenance.
He said: “The fells were packed, everybody was happy and having a great time and using the National Park for what it’s there for. Pressure on paths already puts incredible strain on the landscape and having so many people out on the fells wears away the path and the land more quickly, reinforcing what we do. If we didn’t do it the landscape would be degraded and it wouldn’t be the landscape we love.”
Speaking about fellow volunteers, Jeremy said: “Everybody has a love of mountains and a love of the Lakes. There’s an energy and a go-getter spirit to make a difference. It’s a bit of a challenge, but we like to make a difference. They’re like my extended family.”
He explained when he started coming to the fells in 1983, the state of the fells was much worse than how it looks today. Jeremy said: “You could see the scars from miles away, they’ve disappeared because of the work of Fix the Fells and their predecessors have done. The number of visitors continues to go up and up and up, so our work will never be done.”
Image credits; Nicky Beeson. Images show Fix the Fells Rangers and Volunteers working on path maintenance.
Image credit: Nicky Beeson
Image credit: Nicky Beeson
Image credit: Nicky Beeson
