Cartmel Fell culvert repairs, Lake District

Steve Stout of Cumbria TRF organised a repair plan which was developed in collaboration with experienced upland path management, following the advice laid down in the Uplands Path Advisory Group manuals. (Upland Pathwork and Upland Management) and Repairing Upland Paths, Best Practice Guide 1996). Cumbria Drystone Walling Association was consulted for their expertise on the rebuilding of the main retaining wall. Experienced contractors have been consulted for the culvert installation. All health and safety paperwork was completed before the weekend.

Although a TRF initiative, the Green Lane Association were part of the work party, along with ACU, CALM and LARA members.

The work involved:

  1. Clearing a drainage gully and replacing the damaged culvert with larger diameter twinwall pipe.
  2. Fill in the eroded surface where significant water is being retained through surface erosion, clear drainage channels as required.
  3. Rebuild retaining drystone wall at GR 409 890.
  4. At GR 413 883 build drystone culvert entrance/exit for existing culvert

Day 1

Culverts were dug out and the road has started to look like it should again without the water running across it rather than under it. In the morning stone was picked up from Staveley. A huge thanks to Richard Rogers, (RR Stone) for both donating, loading and then bringing some across.

Duncan Allen, Patrick Lacey, Richard Burke and Jim David from the Green Lane Association turned up and did a stirling job on wall building and gully clearances.

Several of the TRF lads dug out the upstream riverbed and unearthed the entrance to the main culvert, then built a catchment area and stone faced it. Others dug out another drain line, found a huge culvert and opened this out.

Day 2

With visits/help from Geoff Wilson, (LARA), Robert Wilson ACU & Peter Apps, (CALM), all of the major organisations involved with green lanes were present, as both TRF & Green Lane Association members turned up to help out again.

Plenty of some very old stone drainage was exposed and rejuvenated. Lots of superb work was done by the lads with plenty of digging, and some big stones moved around. There are some areas still to finish off but the road is now not in danger of collapsing.

Big thanks to Kankku for donating the drainage pipe needed today last minute.

Thanks very much to everyone who turned up today.

A fabulous achievement in the Lakes