With the ever-increasing influx of visitors, Roseberry Topping will inevitably suffer unless concerted efforts are made for its preservation. Before the National Trust assumed responsibility for the area, maintenance was minimal, as the land had been classified as agricultural. Under the Trust’s stewardship, conditions markedly improved. Paths on the lesser slopes were temporarily diverted to allow natural regeneration, though this method was impractical for the main route to the summit, which required more substantial intervention. Consequently, in 1993, a helicopter was employed to transport stone to the western slope, where a new path was laid, paying particular heed to drainage and replanting at the path’s edges.
A helicopter was once again called upon in 1999 to airlift stones for the path from Roseberry Common to the summit.
But Roseberry Topping has continued to draw increasing numbers of visitors annually. Now, thirty-one years later, the main path to the summit shows significant wear, with deep erosion gullies flanking the path, caused by walkers spreading out and exposing the soil to the elements.
On Monday, a helicopter was once more deployed, this time to carry 120 tonnes of rough stone blocks in polyester fibre bags for steps, drains, and path edges. The operation, initially planned for two days, was completed in a single day despite a one-hour delay when the summit was obscured by cloud.
The stone, sourced from local quarries, will be used over a period of six months to complete the restoration work.
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