£20,000 repairs for eroded paths

The paths had been eroded by bad weather and walkers

Eroded paths in the Lake District have been repaired thanks to donations of more than £20,000.

In recent years rain has washed away hundreds of tonnes of earth along a 400m route of Coldedale Hause near Buttermere leaving 4m-deep ravines.

Gullies of up to 6m-wide had also left the route impassable to walkers.

But the damage has now been repaired thanks to donations of £20,000 from the online fixthefells appeal and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Workman Iain McCurrach also installed a drainage system along the route to stop the problem recurring.

'Dreadful state'

National Trust upland access project manager, John Atkinson, said: "The result is a great new path that blends in with the rest of the stunning scenery.

"This is a fine example of restoration work and should encourage walkers to stay on route rather than trampling on vegetation and potentially starting the whole process again."

So far 70 paths have been repaired thanks to almost £360,000 from the fixthefells appeal, but a further 75 are still in desperate need of attention.

Lake District National Park Authority's upland paths adviser Richard Fox said: "It is vitally important that we can find ongoing funding so we can stop other paths getting into this dreadful state."