Northumberland Traditional Skills Trainees
Published 3 October 2008
Hadrian’s Wall ‘Fixers’ came head-to-head with the Lake District Fell ‘Fixers,’ in a bid to share traditional skill techniques. What they learned will then be used on eroded routes within both national parks.
The Lake District Fix the Fells Partnership is a body that works together to prevent further erosion of upland paths. The partnership is run by the Lake District National Park Authority, the National Trust and Natural England - and is further supported by Friends of the Lake District, The Tourism and Conservation Partnership and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The Northumberland National Park’s Traditional Boundaries Traditional Skills trainees recently visited the Lake District National Park, to learn special techniques, with the National Trust Coniston footpath team acting as trainers for the Northumberland trainees.
The trainees spent four days in the Lake District - two days were spent on Wetherlam and two on Wansfell, as part of their nine-month course in countryside skills. The intention is for the trainees to use these skills for repair work on Hadrian’s Wall and The Simonside Hills near Rothbury.
Rob Clarke, one of the National Trust Coniston path team said: “The two days spent on Wetherlam with the Northumberland trainees were spent on Fix the Fell route - Hole Rake path leading up to the Tilberthwaite/Coppermines path to the summit of Wetherlam. The group were involved in pitching and landscaping to define a route through an area that was becoming a spreading erosion scar. As well as learning some new techniques, they experienced the many difficulties associated with path repair:
”The trainees were also keen to learn how to construct a stone drain whilst we were working on Wansfell - an important part of any path construction. The Wansfell path was suffering greatly with water damage. By the end of the week we'd got quite a lot of work done, which was very useful for all of us. We enjoyed working with the trainees - they were quick to learn, keen and good humoured which made our task all the more pleasant.”
Derek Proudlock, Southern Area Manager for the Northumberland National Park Authority said:” Alongside the skills gained in Northumberland National Park the Traditional Boundaries Traditional Skills trainees work with the Lake District team has been important in providing experience and additional training in a different landscape and setting.
Working alongside experienced practitioners and tackling tasks and problems associated with the distinctive Lake District landscape adds and hones the skills of individuals, so they can confidently tackle a wide range of tasks once they have completed their traineeship. The pitching skills of the trainees will continue to be perfected whilst working on Hadrian’s Wall and The Simonside Hills near Rothbury.
“National Parks often face the same problems - and links such as the one between the Lake District National Park and Northumberland National Park help to share common solutions. The more we can share skills and expertise the more chance we have of retaining traditional skills within the National Parks and ultimately conserve our very important landscapes.“
Richard Fox, Fix the Fells Project Manager for the Lake District National Park said: “This is a very successful link between our two National Parks, where both projects are funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund - and the sharing of ideas and skills can only be beneficial to both our National Parks.”
Fix the Fells is a five-year programme, which needs to raise £3 million to pay for upland path repair.
