Coniston Team
by Rob Clarke, sponsored by Heart of the Lakes Cottages
January 2009
For around four months of the winter the days are too short, the weather is too bad and too much work on the fells at this time of year would damage the sensitive upland environment. So we descend from the hills and reacquaint ourselves with the wider workings of the National Trust in the Lake District.
Photos: Working in the snow on Stake Pass
While it can feel a little strange at first it puts us back in touch with other staff and gives us a chance to do tasks other than building upland paths. These pictures were taken during the last week of the season and give a good idea of why it just isn’t practical to stay on the fells!
Once the season comes to an end we can take stock of the past year and make plans for the next. We’re very pleased with the results of our work in 2008. Our main job on Stake Pass was very successful and helped us to develop new techniques that are bound to come in useful on future projects. We’re now looking forward to next summer and working on the other side of the pass.
Our smaller projects on Wetherlam and Wansfell were also completed to a high standard – a big thank you goes out to the many different volunteer groups who helped out on these.
With regard
s to the winter work so far, we’ve not got far aw
a
y from stone. Apart from a little hedge laying our main task has been the construction of a drystone viewing platform in the upper corner of the restored gardens at Monk Coniston. As the pictures below show we’ve made good progress but will happily admit it’s been a tricky task as the walled garden location means the work needs a very formal look. This is the very opposite of that which we aim to achieve on the fells and we’ll have to break ourselves out of this tidy way of thinking for next season!
Photo: Walled garden platform at Monk Coniston before work started
Photo: Walled garden platform at Monk Coniston during work
