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Ways to combat Footpath Erosion
Some solutions have been tried unsuccessfully - wooden fencing was laid on the path from Gradbach Mill through Black Forest but this has sunk into the mud.
At Hollins Cross on the footpath between Edale and Castleton, serious erosion has been halted by laying culverts and stonework on the worst affected sections. Wooden boards divert the water away from the path. However regeneration of the vegetation has not been very successful.
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New footpath, Beresford Dale
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In some areas footpaths can be re-routed away from wet peat and onto harder soils which are better able to withstand trampling. These paths may be along the gritstone edges or along grough (valley) bottoms.
A variety of products have been used to form a hard surface on frequently used footpaths. Gritstone slabs have been used at Torside Clough and widely on the Pennine Way. This is now the standard method for surfacing footpaths on moorland. Other methods include using waste from road repairs at Wessended Head. A limestone base has also been used with basalt topping or steelfelt a waste product of the steel industry.
The only alternative to restoration is to limit the use of footpaths in the most popular areas. This would be very difficult to enforce and new legislation would be needed for any seasonal closures.
The Peak Park Trust Footpath Fund has been set up to try and meet some of the expenses of restoring the Park’s footpaths by involving the local community and those who benefit from the paths. Local firms have volunteered to supply materials for repairs and the public will be asked for contributions through collecting boxes.
The Pennine Way
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The Pennine Way Condition Survey in 1990 found that the damaged area of the Pennine Way was five times as great as in the last survey in 1971. The worst eroded parts of the whole Pennine Way lie in the Peak District and extend to 47 kilometres of severely damaged path.
Ways of combatting this erosion include:-
1. Changing the route of the path
2. Restoring and revegetating the damaged areas and laying a firm path.
You can find out more about combatting erosion on the Pennine Way, in Fact Zone19 - The Pennine Way Management Project.
The Peak District National Park lies in the centre of England surrounded by large industrial towns. Up to 30 million visits every year mean that the problems of erosion will not disappear. However changes in the landscape have been taking place for millions of years and we need to consider whether we should be trying so hard to undo the most recent changes. The aim has to be on achieving a balance between the needs of farming, conservation and recreation.
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