Northern team
January 2011 by James Squires
Swings and roundabouts; lose a shed and become a film star
Since our last update, we have had mixed fortunes on our projects due, in large part, to inclement weather. We had two highly enjoyable and productive Fix the Fells volunteer work parties in October and November where the Esk Hause footpath was almost completed. However, heavy falls of snow above 400m made it impossible to work further (some drifts around Sprinkling Tarn were over a metre deep) and, before we could lash down our shed for the winter, 100mph winds broke it into splinters and threw the pieces all over the fell. We have now tidied the area - at least what we can see above the snow! - but no further work has been possible and we have lost several items stored in the shed.
Shed and buried; remains of the shed at Esk Hause
So we moved down to the valleys to assist our estate teams through the winter. However even this got off to a slow start as the cold weather bit from mid November. Our main focus this winter will be laying hedges throughout the new combined property covering the north-west Lake District but it has been far too cold too start this in earnest (hard frost will kill any newly laid liggers). Instead we have been busy preparing by cutting away all the tangled branches that will not be part of the final laid hedges and either chipping or burning them so that nutrients can be returned to the base of the hedge. Since coming back from our Christmas holidays the weather has become milder and we have been able to lay hedges in Buttermere village and at Watergate farm in Loweswater.
Tangled branches are cut to preserve nutrients at base of hedges
We have been busy too with promotional events. A film-maker accompanied us to Esk Hause on our final volunteer work party and the footage he shot now forms part of a Fix the Fells promotional film which played on a continuous loop at the Outdoor Show in London recently, attended by some of the North Lakes staff and volunteers along with colleagues from elsewhere in the Fix the Fells partnership. The four day event provided us with the opportunity to raise awareness of the project to a new audience in the South but 38 hours of exhibition time in just four days was nearly as hard work as repairing paths at 750m! Finally, we took part in hosting a group of ‘young adventure seekers’ from the Under The Big Blue Sky initiative in November. This is a scheme run by the National Trust to promote the outdoors as a tourist destination and our participation was aimed specifically at those who might like to come to the Lake District for fell walking and other extreme activities. See their video diary at http://underthebigbluesky.org.uk/
Looking forward, we shall carry on with our lowland estate commitments for the next few weeks before returning to the fells when the days become longer. We have two volunteer work parties planned for estate work in the valleys and then we are due to complete the Esk Hause work from last year and continue with the sub-soil path between Stake Pass and Langstrath, once again in conjunction with our colleagues from the South Team.
Maybe we’ll see you out and about and, if we do, come over for a chat – we’d love to talk to you!
To find out more about the Northern team return to the diary archive
