Chaos for UK village as overtourism ruins beautiful area

A Peak District hike has become so overrun with tourists that the mountain is eroding and residents are grappling with foul littering. Mam Tor in Hope Valley, Derbyshire, has begun to erode under the huge number of walkers, and helicopters have had to be used to fly over soil for repairs.

Residents in the area have raised concerns over dangerous parking, speeding, littering, fouling and vandalism, with one reporting he even came across human waste on the trail. Its popularity is also putting pressure on Mountain Rescue as it had the highest number of callouts in the Peak District. The service was required 77 times in 2024, while hikes graded as significantly more challenging, such as Kinder Scout, required 50 in the same time period.

Ed Procter told the BBC that when he moved to the area in 2012 it was much quieter than now.

He explained: "We know now, with evidence, that almost a million people are walking up Mam Tor every year, which is incredible. We've not seen levels of visitors like that ever, or as far as we're aware."

The National Trust installed people counters on Mam Tor just over a year ago.

Ed said that volunteers in the village go litter picking every week and return with bags full of waste, including discarded dog litter bags, adding: "I've come across human poo before."

Some believe the popularity began during lockdown when people were drawn to explore the outdoors, compounded by the rise of TikTok influencers sharing hikes online.

Mam Tor is considered a relatively easy and accessible hike, with parking quite close to the summit meaning it can be scaled for sunrise in about 15 minutes along a paved path.

Residents have created a Facebook group, Concerned for Castleton, to collect and report issues back to the local authorities.

The National Trust is currently working with the Peak District National Park Authority, Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Police, and High Peak MP Jon Pearce to develop a plan to reduce visitors' impact.

Craig Best, general manager for the National Trust's Peak District portfolio, believes parking capacity needs increasing, restrictions need to be in place to prevent dangerous road parking, and visitors should be encouraged to park properly through social media.

He said: "Have a back-up plan, think about where else you may want to visit in the Peak District. There are lots of places across the Peak District where you can visit and still have a great walk.