Boatyard users 'gobsmacked' by closure
Jennie Dennett/BBCBoatyard users have been left "gobsmacked" after plans were announced to close facilities at a lake.
The National Trust said it wanted to end boat and equipment storage at Fell Foot, at the southern end of Windermere, in order to open up more of the shoreline to the public.
The local boating community are now wondering if their days on the water are over after the charity asked them to clear out by the end of October.
The trust's general manager for the area Laura Lee said the land was "a really important place for public access" and opening it up would allow it to "deliver the most public benefit".
Kevin Wilkinson of the Fell Foot Lake Users has kept his boat there for about 15 years and volunteers for the National Trust.
He said when he found out, he was "absolutely gobsmacked" and "sick, literally".
Jennie Dennett/BBC"There's been times I don't particularly want to go into where, mental wellbeing and all the rest of it, I was in a very bad state and I was told to come up here and just to be here and out," Wilkinson said.
"So if anyone out there would like to buy a Beneteau, mine's up for sale because there's nowhere else to leave it and there's a lot of people here who are in the same boat."
Lee said the National Trust has been facing rising costs and increasing public access would provide more space for activity providers on Windermere.
"Public access here is limited and what we need to do as the trust is make really difficult decisions about where we put our energy and resources to enable us to deliver the most public benefit that we can," she said.
"Unfortunately, that has led us to have to make some really tough decisions."
She said rising costs meant the National Trust had lost about 600 staff in the past year, impacting the Lake District.
While the boatyard was previously staffed to enable it to operate "safely", that was not going to be possible in the future.
Boatyard users argued they did not need it to be staffed, but Lee said it would not be viable due to all of the large equipment there.
The trust added the Active Base facility next to the boats, with changing rooms and showers, will remain open, but operating hours may change.
