News en route
Ingleborough gate repair
Repairing a broken gate on the path up to Ingleborough is
just one of the jobs that new Park Ranger Ian Colledge has
tackled since he took up post recently.
Ian, 25, a former National Park Authority apprentice with
roots in Ingleton, has become the new Yorkshire Three Peaks
Ranger, with responsibility for maintaining paths on
Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside. He takes over from Josh
Hull.
The gate is on the approach to Ingleborough summit, just
before the remains of the old shooters' hut on the route of
A Dales High Way.
Ian said "This broken gate was reported by one of our
volunteers. A few screws later and it’s good to go. It needs a
new gate and post, but this quick fix should see it through
until then.
“I’d probably have to say Ingleborough is my favourite of the
three peaks and that’s mainly because I’ve got family that live
in Ingleton. Growing up I spent a lot of time going up
Ingleborough and it was the first of the three peaks that I did
– I was six or seven when I first went up it. Without
Ingleborough and all the time I’ve spent on it, I would never
have had that interest in the outdoors and I would never have
had the thought to do this kind of work in the first place."
You may well bump into Ian along the way - if you do please
stop and let him know how much we all appreciate the hard work
he and his colleagues do to keep the paths in such good condition.
2 Oct 2021
Saltaire Festival Sunshine
Sunshine greeted visitors to Saltaire Festival this weekend,
returning after a two-year absence due to the pandemic.
The second weekend of the festival included a funfair by Shipley Glen Tramway, a Continental Street Market along
Exhibition Road and a Makers Fair at Victoria Hall.
Picnickers in Roberts Park were be treated to music in the
Bandstand.
Last weekend saw an open-house event with gardens around
Saltaire welcoming visitors.
Though the Festival is somewhat pared back from the usual
busy schedule of events, it has proved none-the-less popular
with visitors looking for some respite from the restrictions of
the last two years.
The World Heritage Site of Saltaire is the start of A Dales High Way.
18 Sept 2021
Great North Bog Initiative
The Great North Bog Initiative is one of five landmark
projects that will receive £16 million awarded through the first
round of Natural England’s Peat Restoration Grants.
The awards were announced last Friday as the first stage of a
£50 million investment, building on the government's pledge to
restore approximately 35,000 hectares of peatland in England by
the end of this Parliament.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, together with the North
Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership
and Manchester University, will carry out restoration work on
degraded blanket bog across 15 sites in a new collaboration
called the Great North Bog Initiative.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: "Our peatlands are
remarkable habitats which provide homes for many precious
species and hold enormous amounts of carbon. By restoring 35,000
ha of damaged and degraded peatlands in England, 9 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide would be prevented from being released
by 2050 which would make a significant contribution to
combatting the devastating impacts of climate change and
biodiversity loss."
The early route of A Dales High Way crosses Rombald Moor, important for it's upland peat bogs.
The Great North Bog is a landscape-scale approach to upland
peatland restoration and will build on the work already
undertaken by individual schemes, such as Moors for the Future
Partnership.
1 Sept 2021
Appleby Horse Fair Returns
The traditional Appleby Horse Fair which attracts thousands
of gypsies and travellers returned last week after the 2020 fair
was cancelled due to the pandemic - only the second cancellation in its
recent history.
The
event normally takes place in June and has been going since the
1750s.
Some businesses in the town have decided to close over fears
the fair may prompt a rise in Covid cases. Pop-up clinics are
being made available for those who have not yet been vaccinated.
Les Clark, deputy chief executive of Eden District Council,
said despite people's fears over the spread of coronavirus, it
was the right that the gathering should go ahead.
"We could either wrap around that support, like we normally
do, or we let things happen unplanned and ad hoc, which would be
very difficult to control," he said.
Additional police resources were on hand after reports of a "fued" between two groups.
Four people were charged with disorder offences after several
arrests were made on Friday.
But on the whole, the fine weather meant another enjoyable
week for the thousands who visited Appleby.
16 August 2021
Skipton Gateway project to start next summer
Visualisation of new access to Skipton Railway Station
(above).
North Yorkshire County Council hope to have plans for a £7.8
million "Gateway" scheme for Skipton finalised by next June, with
work starting shortly afterwards. The project should be finished
by Spring 2023.
The project will improve access for walkers and cyclists from
the railway station, with additional links to the bus station,
town centre and the college.
A recent public consultation has shown overall support, but
with some adjustments needed.
North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie said: “We are
looking at alternatives for Broughton Road by putting the cycle
lane on the highway as opposed to it being segregated from
traffic and we are also taking steps to calm traffic.
“The project has had good support overall and what it is
aiming to do is improve cycling and walking options not just for
residents but also visitors because Skipton is the gateway to
the Dales after all.
“When people arrive by train or bus we want them to feel like
they are right in the centre of an area with improved facilities
for all.”
Walkers tackling A Dales High Way in sections make particular
use of the railway station.
The scheme is supported by the County Council, Craven
District Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
1 Aug 2021
90 miles across the glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales
