Official Fell 'Junk'

[Mossdog]

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!)

[Llani Boy]

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!)

With a bit of luck it'll be chopped up and burned on the fire in Greg's Hut one Winters night!

[Witton Park]

We also have signage around Darwen Moor which is now under Natural England as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
It's not quite so remote, so maybe there's more call but if folk need telling not have a BBQ here, they should be munching crayons rather than burgers.

The sign manufacturers must be making a fortune.

Off moor, we have now a "Weavers Wheel" in Blackburn to try and copy the Preston Guild Wheel. One section a few hundred yards long as given rise to "dangerous bend" signs even on a section of gravel track that I wouldn't consider to contain a bend, merely a slight kink.
I think perhaps someone ordered too many signs so they used them anyway.

[noel]

I quite like a sign if it's telling me something interesting. I was in Hackfall Woods last week near Ripon, and it was interesting to read about the history of the valley and its various follies. But I agree, if it's just: this is a moor - we get birds and butterflies, there's not much point.

[Mossdog]

About 10 years ago they took all the 6 gates across our lane out (Postman had to get in and out of his car for each on the way up and the same on the way down) and replaced them with cattlegrids and a side gate for horse drawn vehicles and animals.

Each grid has a sign leading to it, and obviously one on the other side too for that approach. Also below the cattlegate triangular sign is a notice advising the use of the side gate. They had chosen the supersized variety of signage obviously to cater for the visually impaired who might venture that way while out riding.

I also supposed they needed the signs in the first place and so many of them just in case any of the cognitively challenged carriage drivers forgot during the short distance between one gate and the next that it would be prudent to use the side gate rather than risk injury by driving over the grid.

Funny though, as when we had the old gates, we had no signs at all, and nobody drove through them when closed!

Ah well, you can never be too careful!