Hostel aims at self-sufficiency

Solar panels and compost toilets will be installed at the Black Sail hostel

One of Britain's most remote youth hostels is to become even more isolated under plans to return a valley in Cumbria to wild woodland.

The Black Sail hostel in Ennerdale will need to be self-sufficient once its surroundings become out of bounds to motor vehicles.

Mountaineer Sir Chris Bonnington is spearheading an appeal to raise funds to refurbish the hostel.

This will include the installation of solar panels and compost toilets.

The area is dominated by conifer forest, and plans are to replace this with more native woodland such as juniper, oak and birch.

'A special place'

Sir Chris, who is heading a campaign to raise £250,000 to refurbish the Black Sail along with a neighbouring youth hostel further down the valley, said: "This is an immensely exciting project, enabling Ennerdale to become almost a true wilderness.

"It's going to become an incredibly special place and Black Sail is going to be right there at the head of it.

"They are going to have to adapt to it as well, and that is one of the reasons why they need all this money because they will have to have energy coming in from things like solar panels."

He stressed the importance of youth hostels, adding: "I started hostelling 50 years ago as a youngster of 15.

"It did a great amount for me then and it can go on doing a great amount for young people in future."