A historic Lake District railway hut has been restored for modern use.
Earlier this week work started to add new benches, surfacing and drainage to the hut at Brundholme Bottom, on the Keswick to Threlkeld Trail.
The hut is referred to as a ‘platelayer’s hut’, which is a term for a railway employee. It would have provided welcome shelter for anyone working on the track.
Nowadays the hut provides welcome respite and shelter for walkers on the Keswick to Threlkeld trail.
But in recent years, the hut has experienced flooding, which has been worsened by recent storms.
Carl Bradford, area ranger for the Lake District National Park, said: “The issues with the hut flooding inside was raised by our Keswick to Threlkeld volunteer team who undertake weekly inspections of the trail, checking its safe, clear of litter, and engaging with the public using the trail.
“The hut is used as a resting point for people using the trail these days, with interpretation boards situated outside the hut explaining a little of the history of the trail, and with it being about halfway along the trail, it’s a very popular rest point for people.
“Over time gravel and sediment has built up in the hut meaning the floor gets very wet and is unable to drain”.
The Lake District National Park ranger team worked on the hut with the help of volunteers .
They worked to scrape the inside of the hut back to its original floor level and reinstate drainage to remove water within the hut.
The team also replaced old benches with two new ones outside the hut and restored the external ground level which was well worn by use, making it much dryer for weary walkers resting their feet.
