Ghylls and mines.

Last week took me away from my usual territory in the Borrowdale area to spend some time in Eskdale in the South Lakes. One of the rangers there, Clive, is setting up a working group to look at issues relating to ghyll scrambling. This is an activity which is growing in popularity and it has the potential to create some problems. The two main concerns are erosion of the landscape and conflict between a minority of users and the farming community.

    

This can be the result of lack of awareness from the users so Clive has decided to nip it in the bud at an early stage in the development of the activity in the Eskdale area. This first gathering of the working group consisted of a number of representatives from outdoor centres, the local farmer, representatives from the Lake District National Park Authority and of course the National Trust.

It was a very successful day and everyone who was there seemed to leave feeling positive and optimistic for the future. Clive will now move on to the next stage and will develop a Code of Conduct so that all concerned can feel that a balance respecting their needs has been found. In the North Lakes we have already developed a similar code and so far it seems to be working well.

For me it was a great day. It’s good to share experiences with others who are working in another location – there’s always a new perspective to give me food for thought. And the Eskdale area, although different from my Borrowdale, has its own beauty.

Elsewhere in the week I took advantage of the good weather and made one of my regular, quarterly checks of the safety fencing and signing around the old wad (graphite) mine shafts on the high fells above Seathwaite. It’s important to keep these in good order as we don’t want anyone falling into a shaft. 

It’s also important because the wad mine is the only example of its type in the world. It is actually a scheduled ancient monument with the same status as St Paul’s Cathedral. During the reign of Elizabeth I the wad was used in the manufacture of cannon balls and the mine was so important that it was protected by armed militia.  It also became the foundation for the world’s first pencil manufacturing, an industry that carries on here to this day although it no longer uses local graphite.

Daisy here.

I’ve been running round the fells with Roy. He’s been looking at holes in the ground. I don’t know why but running round’s great.