Mountain path repairs 'first big work' since 1980s
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- Fix the Fells is leading a three‑year repair of Swirls Path on Helvellyn, pulling out the old track and installing wider stone pitching to curb erosion.
- Helvellyn received more than 100 tonnes of stone delivered by helicopter earlier this year, and recovered path material will be reused in the rebuild.
- Funding for the first year totals £220,000 and is being raised through public fundraising.
- Isabel Berry says the work will restore vegetation, reduce soil loss into Thirlmere, and strike a balance between protecting the fellside and meeting walkers’ needs.
- National Trust partners with Lake District National Park, Natural England, Friends of the Lake District and the Lake District Foundation in the Fix the Fells initiative, which was set up 25 years ago.
Why it matters: Walkers will enjoy a safer, more stable trail while the surrounding ecosystem benefits from reduced soil loss; the £220k investment protects water quality in Thirlmere and curtails costly future erosion repairs.
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