I ran up to Crossfell from Kirklands today 8.45 miles, 2316 feet, 1hr 42 mins. and on the return route made a detour to Greg's Hut. I've overnighted there many a time, but haven't visited for a couple of years. It's been given a great make-over and is much improved.

However, on the way to the hut from the summit, I noticed they've put in a wire fence, and a new gate. Next to the gate is a large (6 foot long) information board, headed 'Welcome to the Moor', with pictures of birds and other facts, etc. Personally, I can't think that this urbanisation adds anything to the barren beauty of this part of the Pennines, but rather greatly detracts, and it is markedly incongruous with the surround wild landscape.

Why do they do this? I'd imagine that anyone with enough nouse to get to that point would have the wherewithal to know this stuff or the ability to check it out themselves on their phones. It's not exactly emergency info (there's some in the hut a few hundred yards away). Perhaps they had excess in the Natural England (or whatever the quango is called now) annual budget and had to spend it on something.

I've noticed similar 'junk' appearing in the now re-wilded (i.e plastic tree guards and cable ties festooned fell), of the once secluded and rarely visited Swindale in the east Lakes, advertising in a joint self-congratulatory fashion the RSPB and United Utilities.

Progress and change... I 'ate it!

(rant over...for now!)