One major factor is walker’s boots because they kick away and break down the surface but this is by means no means the only factor. It is not only the walkers that cause the erosion the bike and the heavy footfall of fell runners who can also break the ground up.
It is not only human impact that makes the footpaths wear down, the livestock has been a primary source of some of the most serious surface on the surface because there feet break down the surface also they eat all the roughage on the surface without this the soil breaks down because there are no roots in the soil to keep the soil together. The walkers come along and carry it of on there boots and is deposited somewhere else.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park has set up schemes to prevent the footpath erosion such as ‘the three peaks project.’ They have introduced duckboards across the mud, this would stop the paths eroding further but they look out of place and unnatural. They have also tried to reduce erosion by replacing the peat with hard core, this doesn’t look very natural and can be worn down again quickly but this method is cheap but needs a lot of maintenance. They also laid geotextile fabrics across the damaged surface this is cheap and is quite effective but need maintaining.
The National Park authorities have tried to discourage walking on the severely damaged and over-populated footpaths; in particular they have tried to discourage large groups who visit on a regular basis. They are also trying to persuade organisers of challenge and competitive walks to do the same as the Harrogate Rambling Club who took the decision to re route the walks away from most damaged areas and the footpaths in the ‘Three Peaks Project.’
The National Park Authorities have introduced long tem measures to ease pressure on some key footpath routes and honeypot sites. For example restrictions on car parking and general vehicular access to the start of some popular footpaths are going to be introduced.
The Authorities have tried to use restorations techniques such as elevated board walks and huge rock staircases the only problems with this is they can be totally out of place. This can be overcome by using local materials whenever possible, in recent years they have used stone pitching.
In June 1994 a British Upland Footpath Trust was set up by the Ramblers Association (BUFT). There aims are to bring benefit to upland repair to upland path repair programs by:
- Tapping into sources of funding for upland path repair.
- Raising the profile of upland repair through promotional work.
- Helping to improve standards through training and new opportunities.