Wild campers have desecrated a secluded area of woodland popular with walkers and visitors to Keswick.
Lynn Roberts was shocked to discover the mess left behind by the occupants of two tents that she had stumbled across while being dragged up a hill in Castlehead Wood by her exuberant Dalmatian while out for a walk from her home on Manor Brow.
“They have left behind pretty much the contents of everything they have eaten out of during their stay including tins, tubes of toothpaste, water bottles and little plastic bowls. It’s a terrible, terrible mess, it really is,” said Mrs Roberts.
“It’s really annoying. Looking at the mess, it looks like it has been scattered deliberately. It’s a total lack of respect for the countryside.
“There are efforts being made to try to encourage people to come to the Lake District, but if this is what we get I can understand why people are unhappy about it.”
Castlehead Wood, which is only a short stroll from Keswick town centre, is regularly visited for its splendid views over the town with those walking to the summit being rewarded with a splendid panorama for very little effort. The full length of Derwentwater can be seen as well as Bassenthwaite Lake and 30 Lake District fells. But wild camping is not allowed.
Mrs Roberts said that the tents – one of which was grey and the other a grey tarpaulin – had gone when she next visited the site which she said was off the beaten track and above the main path in a remote clearing that is fenced off.
Her husband, Geoff, said: “We walk that wood every day and it’s a joy with the dog. But there are nappies and signs of defecation all over the place. It’s just disgusting. But what do you do?”
This was not the only incident of mess left behind by fly campers this week. There was a report of dumped detritus in Whinlatter which had to be cleaned up by Forestry England rangers.
A spokesperson for Forestry England said: “Whilst the team at Forestry England Whinlatter were disappointed to discover litter left over from some fly-campers, thankfully the majority visit responsibly, helping us look after this special place for people, nature and the climate.
“We do not allow camping in the forest, but there is a wide range of campsites and other accommodation nearby for visitors to enjoy. We ask everyone enjoying both Whinlatter Forest and the wider Lake District to visit responsibly, follow the countryside code, leave no trace and do their bit to minimise the pressure on our rangers and emergency services.”
