Lake District beauty spot trashed as visitors leave 'disgusting mess'
- UK Hidden Gems
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
A campaigner who has spent the last year recording rubbish left behind by wild campers has spoken of her frustration after visiting Ullswater at the weekend.
Fi Kennedy, from Penrith, is a passionate walker but says her usual trips to the area are now spoiled by what she calls “disgusting” scenes.
“I began taking photos to show what’s really happening, and this weekend was especially awful,” Fi told Cumbria Crack.
Her images revealed abandoned tents, barbecues still burning, human waste, and even a car left overturned.
Although police and National Park rangers shared online that they were patrolling, Fi explained that many of the problems happen when staff are not on duty.
“I’ve spent a year pointing out where and when these problems happen, and it’s only recently that the police and crime commissioner has started to act, which I do welcome,” Fi said.
Cumbria Police confirmed they knew about the crashed car, saying officers were called to a one-vehicle collision on the A592.
The driver was taken to hospital with injuries and had arranged recovery of the vehicle.
On the wider issue of wild camping, police have urged visitors to think carefully about how their actions affect local people and the environment.
This Saturday, police will join Westmorland and Furness Council, the Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria Fire and Rescue and the rivers trust for a community event to let residents raise concerns.
The “Keeping Ullswater Beautiful” event will be held at Jenkins Field, Glenridding, and will discuss issues such as fly camping, bonfires and littering.
For campaigners like Fi, change cannot come quickly enough. “I just want people to respect this area – my concern is the National Park spends too much time planning for the future and not enough fixing the damage happening right now,” she said.
Remember - LeaveNoTrace!
As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!
Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.
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