The Mountain Bothies Association, the charity responsible for the upkeep of around 100 open shelters in the UK, has today launched an appeal for donations towards the cost of re-roofing Greg's Hut, a remote bothy beside the Pennine Way high on Cross Fell.

Sited on one of the most exposed parts of the North Pennines, winter storms have inevitably taken their toll on the fabric of the building, and the roof now urgently needs to be removed and replaced, work that it's hoped will be carried out this coming summer.

Because the bothy is in a conservation area, it is a requirement that the roof be rebuilt in its original form using traditional Cumbrian heavyweight stone slabs. This will require the use of specialist contractors and the material will have to be carried in by helicopter- two expensive undertakings.

"At an estimated cost of just over £100k, this will be our most expensive renovation project to date" said MBA Chairman, Simon Birch.

"While we will be able to meet some of this cost from our existing funds, it would adversely impact on our ongoing programme of maintenance and plans for new bothies if we had to meet the cost in full. We are therefore launching this public appeal for assistance with the costs."

"The renovation work will ensure the future of the hut as a mountain refuge for anyone wishing to shelter, as a base for mountain rescue teams when called out to the area, and as a control centre for the annual Montane Spine Race."

Greg's Hut was built in the 19th Century to house miners from a nearby lead mine, and was renovated in 1968 as an open shelter in memory of local climber John Gregory who died in a mountaineering accident. The bothy is maintained jointly by the MBA and the Greg's Hut Association.

• Donations can be made through the MBA's website