Works starts this week on improvements to the high level Walna Scar Road in the Lake District.

The restricted byway, which can be used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders, suffered badly during the floods of November 2009.

It is one of the Lake District’s most popular high level fell routes between Coniston and Seathwaite, in the south west of the national park.

Funding through the Paths for the Public project will provide improvements including 600m of specialised path repairs known as “sub-soiling.”

This new work will cost £10,000.

National Park Paths for the Public Development Officer Dylan Jackman said: “Over time the track in places has developed into a bowl shape which just funnels the water down its length, stripping path materials and depositing them into Cove Beck.

“The sub-soiling technique, uses the hard wearing material beneath the surface to create a hard wearing path surface.”

Paths for the Public is a three-year programme funded by DEFRA, Cumbria County Council and the Rural Development Programme.

Specialist Lake District National Park staff will spend about 10 weeks completing the works using a 13 tonne digger, west of Cove Bridge to beneath Goat Foot Crags.

Further improvement works at Walna Scar are planned later on in the year.