News en route
Moorland Access Bans follow Heat-wave
Open access to wide areas of moorland in Yorkshire was banned
following the July heat-wave that set new UK temperature
records.
In the Bradford district, temporary bans on wide areas of
open access - "right to roam" areas - on upland moors were
introduced on July 20th in response to the danger of fire.
Addingham High Moor was one of the areas affected, but as
public footpaths were exempt from the ban, this did not affect
walkers on A Dales High Way.
Bradford Council said: “Temperatures may have dropped but
there’s still a very high risk of wildfire on moorland. Access
to some areas of moorland across the country is temporarily
suspended, with the ‘right to roam’ on open country withdrawn
until further notice.
“Please stay away from these areas until further notice. The
restrictions do not apply to public rights of way and public
roads."
Temperatures topped 40 degrees in some UK areas for the first
time, highlighting the very real dangers of unchecked
human-induced climate change.
1 Aug 2022
Commonwealth Baton in Saltaire
The Queen's Commonweath Baton arrived at Saltaire yesterday,
on its way across Yorkshire.
Sammy Wills from Sheffield, a paramedic with Yorkshire
Ambulance NHS Trust was chosen as one of 2,022 people to carry
the Baton in the relay preceding this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Sammy said:” I am very excited to be chosen as one of the
Commonwealth Baton bearers in Yorkshire. The 2022 Commonwealth
Games mark a fantastic year as it is also 20 years since I
started flying as a Paramedic with Yorkshire Air Ambulance
Charity, seconded from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust."
The baton will be travelling through 72 Commonwealth nations
before the opening of the Games in Birmingham on the 28th of
July. The baton, which has already completed an international
route, is travelling the length and breadth of England, stopping
in 180 locations.
The relay will end at Birmingham's Aston Hall on 28 July, the
day of the games' opening ceremony.
13 July 2022
Aerial Archaeology Project for Westmorland Dales
A new aerial investigation project has been launched covering
the south-eastern part of the Westmorland Dales area of the
Yorkshire Dales National Park, a region rich in prehistoric and
Roman archaeology.
The area includes the final stages of A Dales High Way
and
was included into the National Park in 2016.
The project will identify, map and interpret historic
environment features to enhance the Yorkshire Dales Historic
Environment Record using a range of aerial imagery.
It will study all available aerial photographs and LiDAR to
identify and map archaeological features within the survey area.
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) uses lasers to create 3-D
maps of the surface, penetrating any obscuring vegetation.
In the Yorkshire Dales researchers have found two ploughed
down henges that are no longer visible, a significant number of
prehistoric settlements, former farmsteads and complex medieval
farming landscapes that exist underneath the stone walls and hay
meadows not visible to the eye.
The project is being undertaken by Archaeological Research
Services Ltd in conjunction with the Yorkshire Dales National
Park Authority and Historic England to cover 136km²
of the area that was incorporated into the Yorkshire Dales
National Park in 2016.
PHOTO shows the structural remains of a Gilbertine Monastic
House uncovered in 1928-9 in the graveyard of St. Oswald’s
Church, Ravenstonedale © ARS 2022.
1 July 2022
Angel voted "Best gastropub in 2022"
The Angel Inn. at Hetton, on the route of A Dales High Way,
has been voted Gastropub of the Year in this year's National
Restaurant Awards. This comes on top of a Michelin Star award
for 2022.
The pub grabbed the prestigious title at the awards in London
this week adding to a host of previous awards for chef Michael
Wignall, including four AA rosettes and silver overall in last
year's National Restaurant Awards.
A spokesperson for the Angel said: "Absolutely fantastic to
be placed number 12 in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 UK
restaurants, along with Gastropub of the Year. Thank you to
everyone who voted for us, it means the world."
The Angel has undergone major refurbishment since a new
management team took over in 2018. Chef patron Michael Wignall
and his wife Johanna have a vision to keep everything that the
Angel was famous for; fantastic food, a warm welcome and a deep
connection with the dramatic Yorkshire landscape – and make it
outstanding.
A popular spot with walkers for an afternoon pint, visitors
can expect to pay over £400 a night for one of the luxury rooms
on offer, so perhaps only walkers with very deep pockets may be
attracted to an overnight stop here. More frugal walkers are
likely to divert for a night at the popular Devonshire Arms in
Cracoe, just over a mile off-route.
18 June 2022
Bradford is new City of Culture 2025
Bradford was declared last night as the 2025 City of Culture.
Announcing the decision, Nadine Dorries, the culture
secretary, said Bradford was a “worthy winner” of the 2025
title against stiff competition: “Art and culture should be
accessible to everyone and this prestigious title will help
Bradford deliver unforgettable events for communities on their
doorstep."
Shanaz Gulzar, Chair of Bradford 2025, said “What I'm most
excited about is the energy and dynamism in Bradford in our
creative communities. There's a lot of sharing of ideas and a
can-do punk sensibility and drive.” Shanaz is a Keighley-born
artist and regular walker - best known for her popular Yorkshire
Walks series on BBC4.
Bradford has a very diverse, young population, and the
dynamic submission reflected that.
As well as the city itself, the City of Culture status
applies to the whole of the Bradford Metropolitan district, an
area 143 square miles and a total population of 537,000. Most of
the district is rural and includes towns such as Keighley,
Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden, Queensbury, Thornton
and Denholme.
It also includes the world heritage site of Saltaire and the
first stage of A Dales High Way.
1 June 2022
90 miles across the glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales
