Seathwaite, Borrowdale, starting point for several walking routes. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Seathwaite, Borrowdale, starting point for several walking routes. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Visitors to a walkers’ hotspot in the Lake District are being asked to park responsibly or consider alternatives at busy times.

The National Trust says the roadside areas at Seathwaite in Borrowdale are very popular but vehicles left there can cause access problems for farm traffic and, potentially, emergency vehicles.

The location is a starting point for walking routes up Great Gable, Scafell Pike and other peaks in the Central Fells.

A spokesperson for the charity, which owns the land in the area, said: “We’re working with Cumbria Highways and the Lake District National Park Authority to find a better solution, but this will take time.”

The trust is asking those parking there to make sure a fire engine or tractor and trailer could pass through safely.

Last November, several cars were damaged at the site by a large vehicle. Police said they believed the damage was caused by a tractor and trailer. Many of the occupants of the parked vehicles had made their way on to the fells for the annual Remembrance Day service on the summit of Great Gable.

The trust spokesperson said: “If you turn up and find that you can’t easily park at Seathwaite without being confident a fire engine or tractor and trailer could easily pass, please find an alternative place to park.

“The National Trust car parks at Seatoller and Honister Pass are just up the road. Every penny you put in the car park machine helps the trust to look after the places you love to walk and climb.”

On sunny days and bank holidays, the trust asked walkers if they could consider beginning their adventure from a different location in Borrowdale, planning a route elsewhere or even saving their walk for a quieter period.

It also said regular buses run from Keswick to Seatoller. It added it will be monitoring parking at Seathwaite during the summer.

More details are on the National Trust website.

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