Fell ponies help fix the fells
21 March 2007
Ancient and modern methods of transportation come together next week as the National Trust utilise Cumberland Fell Ponies in order to transport 200 large (but empty!) stone lift bags from Black Sail Youth Hostel, to Brandreth, in order to fill them with stone, ready for an air-lift sometime in April.
The lift bags will later on be filled and airlifted to Loft Beck, ready for footpath work. The path at Loft Beck is a popular section of the coast to coast walk, and is in need of urgent erosion control and path repair, as part of the fixthefells project.
A mixture of experienced volunteer handlers and National Trust staff will lead the ponies. The alternative would be to use more helicopters, 4x4 vehicles, or teams attempting to carry back 10 at a time. This method has far less impact on the landscape and keeps traditional methods of transport alive, the ponies will be loaded in flat packs of 20 empty bags, and will then walk 1.8 miles to the site.
The ponies will be well cared for, they are supplied and managed by Christine Robinson of the Kerbeck Stud in Lamplugh, and are an ancient, hardy breed, having been on the fells probably longer than Herdwick sheep.
Christine said "It is great to see the National Trust using the Fell Ponies in their natural habitat to provide a solution to transporting the empty bags from A to B, and assist the footpath workers in the Fix the Fells project.
We need to keep these fell traditions alive and I am very happy that the ponies have something meaningful to work on!"
A mix of experienced volunteer handlers and NT staff will lead the ponies in this, the ultimate in green transport.
