Keswick Fell Care Day Defies Weather

© Fix the Fells

Despite challenging weather - with marquees blowing across Crow Park - landscape charity Friends of the Lake District's Keswick Mountain Festival Fell Care Day achieved a lot of conservation work on Saturday 21st May.

The Catbells drain team  © Fix the Fells
The Catbells drain team
© Fix the Fells

Sixy-odd volunteers braved the early strong winds and driving rain to take part in a range of conservation activities to help tidy up the landscape around Keswick, which still bears the marks of last winter's flooding.

Ruth Kirk, Fell Care organiser said,

“To be greeted on Saturday by a mangled mass of metal that the day before had been 18sqm of beautiful exhibition space was certainly a shock. We may be Friends of the Lake District but the Lake District can be a fickle friend to us even when we are trying to help heal it!"

“Nevertheless, our hardy volunteers arrived at our makeshift signing in table before setting out to pick litter by canoe and foot, learn the skill of dry stone walling and help Fix the Fells on the upland paths of Catbells and Walla Crag."

“We are so grateful to them all for their tremendous efforts which salvaged our soggy Saturday morning spirits!”

In a total 245 hours of work piles of timber debris and 24 bags of rubbish were collected from around Bassenthwaite, and seven bags from around Derwentwater. Nine kilometres of upland path were cleared on three Fix the Fells drain runs on Catbells and Ashness Bridge, and a short stretch of drystone wall rebuilt in Crow Park. They also managed to put away 84 pieces of cake. 

Friends of the Lake District’s next Fell Care Day takes place at Glenridding and Patterdale on Wednesday 6th July. For more info see here


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