The renovation of a bothy in the North Pennines has ensured it’ll be fit for purpose for the next 50 years, an association dedicated to its upkeep said.

At about the 700-metre contour line on the Pennine Way, Greg’s Hut on Cross Fell is the highest bothy maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) in England.

The Greg’s Hut Association (GHA) rebuilt the partially collapsed ruin in the late 1960s as a memorial to mountaineer and good friend of the group members John ‘Greg’ Gregory, hence the name.

Despite regular upgrades, repeated years of bad weather took its toll, as the MBA area organiser David Moorat explained the major problem was the building’s inability to keep out rain and snow through the haps in the roof and walls.

A structural survey commissioned in 2020 recommended significant works totalling over £103,000.

The building needed a complete overhaul including a new roof, chimney stack and porch, and the replacement of all windows and interior facilities.

Much of this work was beyond the capacity of volunteers as heavy materials needed to be hauled across six miles of difficult terrain, so a specialist contractor was required.

At the time, this was the MBA’s most expensive restoration project, and navigating the necessary regulatory requirements and making the case that it was worth it also proved challenging.

The bothy was built in the 19th century as a blacksmith's workshop and lodge to house miners working at the nearby Kate Lock lead mine and because of its historical significance, Natural England required that all changes maintain the character of the building, mandating that the heavyweight sandstone slab slates be replaced in their original form.

Further approvals and wildlife surveys were necessary because of the bothy's location in a site of special scientific interest and an established area of outstanding natural beauty.

Mr Moorat successfully demonstrated the importance of this project to the MBA trustees and dispelled any lingering doubts, and with the MBA’s help he launched a public funding appeal.

Nearly £75,000 in donations and grant funds were raised from a broad range of sources, including £20,000 raised by the Montane Spine Race organisers, with the remaining expenses funded by the MBA.

Members of the MBA and the GHA jointly selected a contractor and construction started in 2022 for eight weeks.

For local contractor Richard Hymers the actual work was straightforward forward but the high altitude and remote location brought other challenges.

60 tonnes of materials were transported on a tractor and a specialist vehicle across rough terrain.

Mr Hymers said: “We must have had at least 15 punctures on the job, even three in one day, and we had to replace two sets of tyres.”

“Combating the weather was the hardest part.

“Leaving Garrigill the temperature could drop eight degrees in the 40 minutes it took to get to the bothy.”

Mike Graham, GHA chair, said: “What was a patchwork of improvements and refurbishments to a derelict building is now an integrated coherent structure giving better protection from the hostile environment of Cross Fell.

“Greg’s friends, the founding members of the GHA, would have been pleased that the essential character of his, and their, memorial lives on.”