Stormy Point on Alderley Edge is eroding at a dangerous rate, according to the National Trust, and visitors are partly to blame.

Over 300,000 visitors a year head to Stormy Point to take in the views across the five counties: Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire, Shropshire, but this may no longer be possible if the area continues to erode as quickly as it has done so in the past two years.

Christopher Widger, Cheshire countryside property manager for the National Trust says the area has eroded at a significant rate, partly due to the number of visitors but also because of changing weather conditions.

“Most visitors who go to Stormy Point tend to stand there, as opposed to walking through it," explains Christopher.

"It is understandable as it is a great spot but we’ve noticed that this, combined with periods of drought, has led to an increased rate of erosion. The surface dries rapidly and the pressure of people’s feet makes the soil crumble easily. So when it does rain there is no structure and it falls away quite easily.”

Christopher and his team predict that if the area is not closed off, the Point could disappear in as little as two years.

“We need to do something about it before key archaeological deposits are washed down the hill,” says Christopher.

“We can tackle this without complete exclusion of access but there will be periods over the next two years when there may be complete closure for a limited period, ultimately leaving an area where access is reduced.”

The closure will begin this summer and will happen in stages. “Initially, it will be sectioned off temporarily so we can excavate; we want to learn a bit more about the site before it is lost altogether,” says Christopher.

“Following that there will be revised access again, although we will be creating new paths to allow people to move around the site without disturbing the Point. We are also hoping to find funding for a bigger excavation in 2008, which will involve limited access.”

The Trust has carried out similar work at nearby Engine Vein, which was also suffering from erosion.

“We had to create fenced areas to allow it to recover and that is beginning to work. We have seen a dramatic reduction in the rate of reduction there,” explains Christopher.

The Trust is aware that people will be disappointed about the closures but hopes that they will support the work. “We can make it work and hope that people will accept that it is something that we need to do. It’s either that or leave it and lose important archaeology. There is 4,000 years of mining heritage to understand and if we don’t shut this off it will be lost.”

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