A 90 mile walk across the glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales
A Dales High Way
News Archive 2017
Tax plan to reduce Dales holiday homes
A radical new proposal to reduce the number of second or
holiday homes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority by
significantly increasing the Council Tax levied on them is being
discussed by the authority this week.
A report suggests that a figure of “at least five times” the
current rate of Council Tax should be considered for second
homes. Figures show now that almost a quarter of homes in the
National Park are second homes or holiday lets.
The report says, “There can be no doubt that the long
term viability of communities in the National Park has been
adversely affected by the level of second home ownership.
“Out of a total of around 13,500 units, approximately 3,000
are second homes or holidays lets. Of this, about half are
registered as second homes. The scale of the impact can be
gleaned from the 2011 census. Whilst an average of 65 new
homes were created each year between 2001-2011, approximately 90
houses were being turned into second homes or holiday lets each
year.
“A certain number of holiday lets is economically beneficial
to the area. They are run as businesses, generate supply chains
and are usually owned and serviced by local people. Second
homes are usually much less so. They ‘deny’ a home to a
permanent resident and push up prices. They also generate a
substantial economic ‘loss’ to the area because for much of the
year there is no one in them spending money."
The average house price in the National Park is now £253,000
but in some parts this rises to £332,000. Only 23% of the
population is aged 18-44, compared to the national average of
37%.
If the authority approve the proposal, it will then be put to
the five District Councils in the Park (Craven, Eden,
Richmondshire and South Lakeland Districts and Lancaster City
Council) and three County Councils (Cumbria, Lancashire and
North Yorkshire).
The report concludes: “It is suggested that a figure of at
least five times the current rate should be considered. To
provide an indication of impact, that would equate to a charge
of at least £8,500 per annum on a Band D property. It is
unlikely that this initiative would raise significant revenue,
and that is not the aim."
Update: Tuesday, 19 Dec. The National Park Authority
voted narrowly to support the resolution. The proposal now
passes to the district and county councils, who intially
supported a tax hike in principle, but a final proposal will
only be worked up to take to government if it has their full
support.
Now you can celebrate your Dales High Way walk with this
beautiful enamel lapel badge - and help support the Friends
of A Dales High Way at the same time!
This high quality pin in the glowing turquoise and purple
colours of the Dales High Way logo shows the distinctive outline
of Ingleborough summit. A permanent reminder of your
achievement.
The badges are just 19 mm wide and have a button pin fastener
at the back.
The lapel badges were the brainchild of the staff at Appleby
Tourist Information Centre (TIC), at the end of A
Dales High Way. They had the badges produced so
walkers finishing the trail at the centre could pick up a
souvenir or two at the same time as collecting their free
certificates. Other Dales High Way souvenirs produced by the
entrepeneurial TIC staff include mugs and coasters!
The lapel badges are available at the centre for just £1.99
each.
Chris Grogan of The Friends said: "We are also
offering the badges for sale online for £3.99 each - which
includes free postage and packing in the UK. Any proceeds
from sales of these badges will go to the Friends of A Dales
High Way to be used for the continued waymarking, promotion and
upkeep of the path. They are really beautiful."
You can order them through the Skyware online store, which
uses Paypal for secure online orders (you can use your credit or
debit card if you don't have a Paypal account).
Each order comes with a free Dales High Way sticker.
Fans of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks are being asked to support
a new campaign to raise money for the repair of a hugely popular
footpath on the county’s highest mountain.
Pitch in for Whernside has been launched by the
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), as part of the
British Mountaineering Council’s national Mend Our Mountains: Make One
Million fundraising campaign.
The aim is to raise £46,000 to re-build the severely eroded
Bruntscar path on Whernside.
The route of A Dales High Way
passes through Bruntscar as it skirts the eastern flank of the
iconic mountain, with many walkers choosing to take the optional
route from Bruntscar over the
summit.
Kate Hilditch, YDNPA Area Manager responsible for the
maintenance of rights of way on the Three Peaks, said:
“Bruntscar is the main descent off the summit of Whernside. The
steepest section is particularly susceptible to damage and the
path is becoming increasingly eroded, undermining the local
ecology and creating an ever-widening scar on Yorkshire’s
highest hillside.
“In its current condition the path is extremely difficult to
use, causing people to walk off route, which in turn is causing
additional erosion on the adjacent slope. The scale of the task
is huge given Bruntscar’s remote location and steep conditions.
“People love Yorkshire’s peaks. But with more people than
ever enjoying what they have to offer, the paths take a great
deal of skill and money to maintain. The Mend our
Mountains campaign is about inspiring walkers everywhere with a
positive message about the need to look after the places we care
about.”
It’s the second time the two organisations have worked
together to support the Three Peaks, which are walked by tens of
thousands of people a year – many of them raising money for
charity.
Last year a total of £17,042 was raised to pay for flagging
on the Swine Tail path on Ingleborough.
A Dales High Way features in
October's issue of The Great Outdoors as part of an
intriguing long distance walk put together by writer Vivienne
Crowe.
"Have you noticed how long-distance paths have multiplied in
recent years? Our landscape is criss-crossed by trails." she
writes. "Put two trails close together and they seem to breed.
"An idea was forming in my head. I'd been looking for a route
that would immerse me in the Yorkshire Dales. With only four
days to spare, I didn't want to spend half a day at either end
messing around on public transport. A circular route starting
and finishing in Kirkby Stephen, served by the Settle-Carlisle
railway, started to take shape."
Vivienne then sets out her circular route combining sections
of five of Northern England's finest trails. She sets off from
Kirkby Stephen to follow the Coast to Coast path up to Nine
Standards Rigg and on to Keld. Day two sees her walking the
Pennine Way south across Kisdon Hill and Great Shunner Fell to
Hawes.
She follows Lady Anne's Way west over Cotter Riggs on Day
three, then picks up the Pennine Journey on to Cautley, at the
foot of the eastern Howgill Fells. Her final day sees her climb
up onto the Howgill ridge to pick up A Dales High Way north to
Brownber, finally rejoining the Coast to Coast path back to
Kirkby Stephen.
Vivienne is an award winning freelance writer who has written
several walking guide books, including the Settle to
Carlisle Way.
Our own Skyware Press publish guides to four of the five
featured trails: A Coast to Coast Route Guide; Heart of the Pennine Way;
Lady Anne's Way and A Dales High Way.
The Friends of the Dales held an open day last weekend to
showcase progress on a huge digital archiving project called
Capturing the Past.
Over the past 18 months a team of local volunteers, with help from the County Record Office, has been working
with a number of local history groups and individuals to help
them digitally record a vast amount of
historical material held in private archives that have not
previously been publicly accessible.
So far 16 archives comprising over 800 documents have been
recorded and digitised covering parishes around Ingleborough and
this material is all now available to search and view on a
purpose built website.
The team’s work will continue until March 2018, by which time
it’s hoped that over 20 archives containing around 2000 items
will be available on the website.
Archives include the Bill Mitchell collection - a set of
drawings made by the former Dalesman editor of many aspects of
the local landscape, its buildings and farming features.
The Lawkland archive is typical of the original material
discovered and contains parish records dating from the 18th
Century, including those of the poorhouse serving local parishes
such as Austwick, Clapham and Horton in Ribblesdale.
Capturing the Past is a two year project run by the
Friends of the Dales (brand name of the Yorkshire Dales Society).
Part of Stories in Stone, a major programme of conservation and
community projects concentrated on the Ingleborough area, the
scheme was developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape
Partnership, led by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and
supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The passing of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW
Act) of 2000, was celebrated earlier this month by the
unveiling of a blue plaque at the North Yorkshire hamlet of Stalling Busk.
The plaque, on a cottage alongside the old school house,
celebrates the Stalling Busk Conference of August 1996, where
a group of Ramblers’ campaigners met to plan a new ‘Access Bill’
- the culmination of a 60-year campaign for the right to roam
upland mountain, moor, heath, down and common land.
The proposed bill was eventually taken up by the then Labour
government in March 1999 and passed into legislation the
following year. Now over 3 million acres in England and Wales
are classed as Open Access Land.
Although most of the route of A Dales High Way follows public
Rights of Way, some sections rely on Open Access Rights to
follow other well-walked tracks - such as the northern ridge
across the Howgill Fells.
Jerry Pearlman, the Ramblers’ former honorary solicitor who
hosted the conference, said: “We needed somewhere quiet,
somewhere where we could think carefully about what we were
proposing. Stalling Busk was the perfect place for that.
The conference focussed minds and generated momentum. It was an
important occasion and means much to the Ramblers.
“Future generations will decide whether the right to roam is
a good or necessary thing. I think it can be seen as one
of the greatest changes in English land law that ever took
place.”
HF Holidays are set to offer guided walking holidays along
A Dales High Way as part of their
exciting new programme for 2018.
The popular walking charity and co-operative society offer a
comprehensive range of walking holiday packages at both home and
abroad.
HF are offering two opportunities to walk A Dales High
Way next year, in May and September. The holiday packages
include full board accommodation at two of the charity's top
quality country houses - Newfield Hall in Kirkby Malham and
Thorns Hall in Sedbergh.
Transport to and from each day's walk is included, together
with packed lunches and baggage transfer between venues. The
walks are led by an experienced and approved walk leader.
The holiday includes 10 nights accommodation, with the walk
itself split into 9 days of between 7 and 12.9 miles. The walk
is set as Level 4 (of 5), described thus: "In moorland areas you
may cover long distances in remote countryside and the terrain
will often be rough underfoot. In mountainous areas you will
encounter some sustained ascents and descents and occasional
sections of scree and some steep ground."
Each year some 60,000 guests travel with HF Holidays. HF says
of its Guided Trails: "All our holidays are accompanied by an
experienced leader and include luggage transfers and walks
transport enabling day after day of carefree walking. By the end
of your holiday, you’ll have achieved a huge sense of
achievement so lace up and begin your trail or island hopping
adventure!"
Founded over 100 years ago as The Co-operative Holiday
Association, HF says: "After a century of changes, the ethos at
the heart of our holidays is still the same as in 1913 -
beautiful locations, great leaders and pleasant sociable
evenings with congenial company."
Countryside rangers from Bradford Council have completed some
difficult and important path repairs to a section of A Dales
High Way alongside Glovershaw Beck by Baildon Moor.
The steep banks of the beck had collapsed in places, narrowing
the path and making progress difficult along a short section.
The problems were noted in a survey by the Friends of A Dales
High Way which was submitted to Bradford Council last year.
The well used footpath links Shipley Glen to Golcar Farm on
the way to Rombalds Moor near the start of the trail. The
problem area ran alongside Glovershaw Farm - a livery yard and a
working stock farm, with a small suckler cow herd and
goats.
The landowners at Glovershaw Farm were approached by the
Council countryside officers about the problem and proved very
helpful. New banking revetments have been installed and the path
widened and surfaced for about 200 metres up to Glovershaw Lane.
Chris Grogan, secretary of the Friends of A Dales High Way
said: "This is a great job. The path is safer and so much easier
to follow now."
A Dales High Way shares this popular section of footpath with
a number of trails, including the Welcome Way, the Bradford
Millenium Way and the Bradford Dales Way Link.
The footpath originally left the beckside and passed directly through
Glovershaw Farm onto Glovershaw Lane, but this final section was
officially diverted in 1966 to run alongside the beck to join
the road at its current location at Low Gate.
An exciting mixed bag of entertainment has been lined up for
this year's Saltaire Festival, which runs from the 8th to 17th
of September.
The first weekend sees the popular Open Gardens trail throughout
the village; with children's activities in Robert's Park between
11am and 4.40pm on September 9 and 10; Saltaire Beer Festival
will be held at Saltaire Brewery in nearby Dockfield (1 mile
along the canal towpath east); and The Organic Fruit, Flower,
Vegetable and Produce Show which will take place on September 9,
between 10am and 4pm, at the Exhibition Building.
The following weekend sees a mini festival in Roberts Park
with music from bands including Motion Complex and Waiting
for Wednesday; with a continental market in Exhibition Road
between 9am and 5pm.
Justin Moorhouse, who appeared in TV sitcom Phoenix Nights,
will perform at a comedy night held at the Caroline Social Club,
on Wednesday, September 13. There will also be exhibitions,
music, pop-up events and street entertainment throughout the
festival period, so walkers setting off on A Dales High Way
shouldn't miss out.
The Festival has been held annually in the world heritage
village of Saltaire since 2003. Ros Garside, chairman of the
Saltaire Festival Board, said: “We’re very proud of this year’s
programme and I can’t wait for everyone to see it and start to
plan their visits to the festival in September.”
Around 100 protesters gathered on Ilkley Moor at the start of
the Grouse shooting season, as part of a campaign to persuade
Bradford Council to stop licensing the activity.
Ban Bloodsports on Ilkley Moor (BBIM) says Bradford Council
is the last local authority in the UK to allow grouse shooting
on municipal moorland and is lobbying Council leader Susan
Hinchcliffe not to renew a contract to do so which expires in
2018.
Its spokesman Luke Steele said: “There is only one way to
manage Ilkley Moor for grouse shooting and that is through
burning away and damaging precious habitat at the expense of our
region’s wildlife.
“Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe must accept
responsibility for the damage caused by grouse shooting to the
moor’s wildlife, habitat and reputation on the local authority’s
watch by giving a commitment to not renewing its disastrous
shooting licence. Anything short will only ensure this
conservation calamity continues.”
Grouse shooting has been blamed for a sharp decline in the
numbers of protected wild birds over the moor. The wildlife
crash, which has negatively impacted on the moor’s population of
specialist species, including Merlin, Dunlin and Short Eared
Owl, could result in the loss of the site’s conservation
designations if declines continue,
One of England’s rarest breeding birds, the hen harrier,
attempted to nest in the Yorkshire Dales National Park this
spring for the first time in 10 years.
Two females laid eggs in nests sited on the edge of a moor
managed for grouse shooting. The birds were watched by a small
team of staff and volunteers from the Yorkshire Dales National
Park Authority (YDNPA) and Natural England.
Unfortunately neither nesting attempt was successful. Both
attempts are thought to have failed because of predation by
foxes.
The Yorkshire Three Peaks area enjoys many thousands of
visiting walkers, including those enjoying a trek along A Dales
High Way and those tackling the gruelling 24-mile Yorkshire
Three Peaks Challenge Route.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) relies
heavily on fund-raising from supporters to cover the cost of a
lot of the work they do in preserving, maintaining and improving
this beautiful and iconic landscape. Park rangers have just
finished a two-month, £58,000 repair project on Pen-y-ghent
which saw stone flags being lifted to the summit by helicopter
and being put into place – often in driving wind and rain.
This month Chris Grogan of Skyware Press, who publish the
Dales High Way guidebooks and other titles such as Dales Rail
Trails, was able to donate another £100 to the Three Peaks
Project to support this work.
Chris Grogan said "So far we've been able to donate £400 from
sales of Dales Rail Trails to the Dales National Park. It may be
a modest sum, but it all helps. We've also been able to raise
funds in a similar way from other titles, from supporting
crowd-funding schemes and from our membership of the Friends of
the Three Peaks."
Dales Rail Trails features 32 circular and linear walks from
stations along the Settle-Carlisle line in the heart of Dales
High Way country.
Buy your copy of Dales Rails Trails now and support the
Yorkshire Three Peaks!
Photo shows Kate Hilditch (YDNPA Area Manager South) and
Chris Grogan (Skyware Press)
An Open day was held today to mark the closing stages of a
two-week archaeological dig at the site of St Helen’s Chapel in
Malham.
The site is in a field adjacent to the National Park Centre
and car park.
The dig has been led by Dr David Johnson of the Ingleborough
Archaeology Group with the help of a group of volunteers and
follows on from two similar digs at the site in 2015 and 2016.
The excavations in 2015 and 2016 confirmed the location of an
ancient chapel in Malham, dedicated to St Helen. The digs
corroborated documentary evidence as to how the chapel was
destroyed by the Edwardian chantry commissioners in 1549.
During the twelfth century major landholdings were given to
the two monastic houses of Fountains Abbey and Bolton Priory in
Malhamdale. After the upheaval of the dissolution of the
monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII all monastic land in
Malham was surrendered to the Crown, then sold and resold.
The site of the lost chapel was finally re-established in
2014 when geophysical and topographical surveys appeared to
reveal a two-cell building which resembled known profiles of
early churches.
A Dales High Way plays a key role
in Baildon Walkers are Welcome (WaW) events later this
month.
The
Baildon group hold their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday
evening, 11 July. After the formal business of the AGM Chris
Grogan will give an illustrated talk about the long-distance
trail which passes Baildon Moor on its way to Ilkley. The public
are welcome to attend the AGM and the talk, where refreshments will be
available.
Then on the following day Chris will lead an 8-mile walk
covering the first stage of A Dales High Way from Saltaire to
Ilkley. All are welcome to join the free walk, which meets
outside Victoria Hall in Saltaire at 10 a.m.
The route leaves Saltaire along the canal towpath and climbs
steadily through Trench Wood to Shipley Glen before heading onto
the open moors, passing the Twelve Apostles stone circle. The
moorland is exposed and can be wet underfoot and the descent
into Ilkley is steep and rocky so care must be taken. There is a
short section along a busy road. Bring refreshments and a packed
lunch, there are cafes and pubs at the end in Ilkley. The walk
is expected to finish in Ilkley by 3 p.m., returning to Saltaire
by train.
The led walk is part of Baildon WaW Summer Guided Walks
Programme.
Baildon town was awarded Walkers Are Welcome status
in 2013 after a two year campaign. The group organise a series
of guided walks throughout the year, as well as publishing DIY
local walk guides and a downloadable Baildon Village Walk. They
also helped develop the Welcome Way, a 28-mile circular
trail linking the Welcome Way towns of Baildon, Otley,
Burley-in-Wharfedale and Bingley.
The AGM and talk will be held at Wesleys Hall, Baildon
Methodist Church on Tuesday evening, July 11th, starting at
7.30 p.m.
The led walk - A Taste of A Dales High Way - leaves
Victoria Hall, Saltaire on Wednesday July 12th at 10 a.m.
This year's Appleby Horse Fair drew to an end last weekend,
with the general consensus of a successful week's festivities.
A Community Advisory Group has met throughout the Fair and
provided feedback from both residents and Gypsies and
Travellers. In general, they considered that the 2017 Horse Fair
had gone really well, with very few incidents of concern.
Gypsy and Traveller representative Billy Welch said: “This
year’s Fair has enjoyed a really positive atmosphere, even the
rain couldn’t dampen our spirits! All has been peaceful and
quiet on Fair Hill, the traditional stopping place for Gypsies
and Travellers at the Fair."
The total number of caravans was down by 112 on last year,
with 815 motorised caravans (trailers) and 176 bowtops -
traditional horse drawn carriages. The number of traditional
bowtops was up by 23 compared to 2016.
Dr Robin Hooper, Chair of the Multi Agency Strategic
Co-ordinating Group (MASCG) and the Chief Executive of
Eden District Council said: “All the public agencies, charities
such as the RSPCA and their dedicated volunteers, plus Gypsy and
Traveller representatives have been working extremely hard not
just during the Fair, but during the past year to ensure that
Appleby Horse Fair is as safe and enjoyable as possible. The
operational plan has been implemented successfully and the vast
majority of people attending the Fair have enjoyed the good
atmosphere, despite some very wet weather. Cumbria Police have
again worked impeccably well and have taken a community led
approach to public safety."
RSPCA Chief Inspector, Rob Melloy, said: “The main concern
for the RSPCA this year was the high water level of the River
Eden where horse washing takes place. The sheer volume of
rainfall in the lead up to and during the Fair meant on some
occasions we had to close the River Ramp and Jubilee Ford on a
precautionary basis to protect the safety of animals and the
public."
A new short film celebrating the 2017 Ride2Stride Walking
Festival is now available.
The video has been produced by David Halsall and Bridget
Izod. The duo, both committee members of the Friends of A
Dales High Way, have produced a number of walking films
over the years, including a great account of walking A Dales High Way in 2012.
The video was filmed over the week of the festival and gives
a flavour of all aspects of Ride2Stride - walks, talks and
music!
This year's festival proved another great success, despite
the kind of variable weather we have become accustomed to.
The programme on Friday April 28th was threatened by
disruption when a rail strike was called for that day,
especially as most of the walks and the music were focussed
around Garsdale. However, walkers turned out in good numbers,
arranging lifts to and from the area as needed. No-one was left
stranded.
Chris Grogan, secretary of the Ride2stride organising
committee, said "If you don't know what to expect at
Ride2Stride, take a look at this film, then join us next year. You'll
have a great time."
Walkers on A Dales High Way will
notice improvement works along the route that have been
undertaken over the winter months, ready for the new walking
season.
The work has been carried out by access officers for the four
authorities along the way, following a detailed survey
undertaken by the Friends of A Dales High Way which was
submitted last year.
In Cumbria work on a collapsed bank at Cuddling Hole has
greatly improved a short section near the end of the walk .
Geoff Fewkes, Countryside Access Officer for Cumbria County
Council (CCC) said "The work done at Cuddling Hole was undertaken to
make the route safe and has suffered more slippage in the lower part
since that work was undertaken. Even though no further
work is presently planned, we are in no doubt that it's on-going
work."
A series of new gates has been installed on the section from
Newbiggin-on-Lune down to Great Asby, just before responsibility
for this area was passed from CCC to the Yorkshire Dales
National Park Authority as part of the national park extension.
New waymark signage has been put up in key places, including
the turn-off up the lane to Lunds Farm, on the way to cross the
Frostrow Fells for Sedbergh. Thanks here are due to the national
park rangers.
In the Bradford District Council area new signage has gone up
and encroaching vegetation on a particularly muddy area of The
Street at Addingham has been cleared, making the going much
easier.
Julia Pearson for the Friends of A Dales High Way said "We're
grateful to the access officers for each of the authorities for
the hard work they've put in to make the route easier for
walkers. Of course there's always more to do, so it's a matter
of priorities, but we will continue to monitor the route and
pass on any problems we find."
Photos, anti-clockwise from the top: Cuddling Hole
improvements near Appleby; new gate near Great Asby; new waymark
at turn-off near Dent.
Walkers on A Dales High Way this weekend were likely to find
themselves with lots of company.
Hundreds of walkers turned out for the Ride2Stride Festival,
with 13 led walks to choose from over the bank holiday weekend,
between Settle and Dent. On Saturday all six walks on offer
finished at Ribblehead for music in the Station Inn. They
included A Taste of A Dales High Way; an 8-mile circular walk
from Ribblehead to Chapel-le-dale led jointly by the Friends of
DalesRail and the Friends of A Dales High Way.
On Saturday morning over 300 runners and walkers set off from
Ingleton on the 55th annual Fellsman Challenge - 62 miles across
the Yorkshire Dales with a total of 11,000 feet of ascent,
taking in Ingleborough, Whernside and Dent. The front runners
reached the finish line at Threshfield in less than 12 hours,
with walkers taking up to 30 hours to complete the route.
Saturday also saw over 900 competitors take on the gruelling
annual Three Peaks Fell Race, 23.3 miles crossing Pen-y-ghent,
Whernside and Ingleborough.
Victoria Wilkinson of the Bingley Harriers set a new womens'
record, knocking a decisive 5mins 24secs off the time set by
Anna Pichrtova, of the Czech Republic, when the Three Peaks
hosted the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in
2008. She finished in 13th place overall in a race won by Murray
Strain, 34, of Hunters Bog Trotters in Edinburgh, who set a time
of 2hrs 49mins 38secs.
Finally, Sunday saw the final day of the Tour de Yorkshire
cycle race, which passed through Saltaire and the start of
A
Dales High Way on its way from Bradford to Sheffield.
Belgian Serge Pauwels claimed his first career win in the
Tour de Yorkshire after winning Sunday's final stage. The Team
Dimension Data rider, 33, timed his push perfectly on the final
climbs of the 194.5km stage from Bradford to Fox Valley near
Sheffield.
The
Friends of A Dales High Way have welcomed the coming Spring
with a new newsletter.
Springtime in Wharfe Woods opens the edition, with
an invitation to Dales High Way walkers to take a slight
deviation from their route beyond Feizor and enjoy the rich
display of wildflowers there.
The Ten Top Dales Ales on offer to walkers also
features, celebrating the booming micro-brewing industry that
has seen the establishment of many new breweries along the
route.
Featured beers include Saltaire Blond, Mary Jane,
Wharfedale Black, Copper Dragon Best, Hetton Pale Ale, Mainline
Bitter, Ingleborough Gold, Dent Aviator, Horse Fair Pale Ale and
Wyvern Ale. If we missed your favourite, let us know!
There's the usual news roundup, including details of the
forthcoming Ride2Stride Walking Festival at the end of
April, which features a talk by our very own Chris Grogan.
And finally there's an extended first-hand account of the
record-breaking run by three intrepid fell-runners - Mark
Collinson, Matt Neale and Davie Dixon - as they cover the entire
93-mile route of A Dales High Way in
just 26 hours and 15 minutes. Remarkable!
Those who have looked at this website before may have noticed
a few changes recently.
A Dales High Way website has now
gone fully mobile-responsive!
Website administrator Tony Grogan said: "We've been planning
to do this for some time. The fact is that more and
more people are using mobile devices to access the site and so
we knew we had to cater for them. Upgrading the whole site,
which has over 60 pages, was a quite a big job. But now that its
done, we hope people will like it and find it much cleaner and
easier to use."
Analysis shows that half the website's users now access it
with a mobile phone or tablet. Those using mobile devices are
certain to become the majority users in the near future.
Statcounter, a research company that tracks internet
use across 2.5m websites, said 51.3% of pages were loaded on
mobile devices in October 2016 - the first time they have
surpassed desktop and laptop computers.
This is up from less than 5% in 2010 and less than 25% three
years ago. Smartphones accounted for 46.5% of traffic, against
4.7% for tablets.
“This should be a wake-up call especially for small
businesses, sole traders and professionals to make sure that
their websites are mobile friendly. Many older websites are
not,” commented Aodhan Cullen, Chief Executive Officer for
StatCounter.
“Mobile compatibility is increasingly important not just
because of growing traffic but because Google favours mobile
friendly websites for its mobile search results.”
In countries such as India, mobile internet usage is already
high at 79%. In the USA and UK desktop and laptop internet usage
(over 60%) still leads, but the gap is narrowing.
A major 4-part documentary following the wild life of the
Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks begins on
Channel 5 on Tuesday evening.
Filmed
across a year, this four-part cinematic treat begins in March when
the barren peaks, deep dales and inhospitable moorland spring to
life.
Yorkshire’s two national parks cover 1,400 square miles and
receive some 20 million visitors a year, but this four-part
documentary reveals a world hidden far from the human eye.
Unseasonably cold summer weather causes difficulties for several
animals in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, including an
injured roe deer and her twins and Wensleydale's red squirrel
population.
High up in Malham Cove, two 40-day-old peregrines must learn how
to fly, while south of the North York Moors National Park, a pair of
grebes carry their youngsters around on their backs.
Cameras capture the moment a queen bee, heavy with eggs for an
entire generation, emerges sleepily from hibernation, a pair of
great-crested grebe begin an elaborate courtship, and two rival
adders fight over a female.
The natural history docs come after Channel 5's successful
wildlife series Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild.
Walkers are gearing up for the sixth annual Settle-Carlisle
Walking Festival which gets underway next month. This year's
Ride2stride festival is set to coincide with the re-opening of the
Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway line between Appleby and Carlisle at
the northern end.
Chris
Grogan, co-creator of A Dales High Way,
will be giving a light-hearted illustrated talk on how this
long-distance trail was devised, on Friday evening in Settle.
There is also a chance to enjoy a Taste of A Dales High Way
the following day with a moderate 8 mile walk around Ribblehead,
courtesy of the Friends of Dales Rail and the Friends
of A Dales High Way.
The varied R2S programme includes some new initiatives as well as
some old favourites. The popular tours of Appleby Castle and Settle
Water Tower are back, along with a chance to enjoy the Jericho
Shanty Town Experience.
For the more adventurous there are plenty of tough strenuous
outings, including the popular High Cup Nick, Wild Boar Fell and
some extended walks taking in the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
There's a fascinating moderate walk to visit Grisedale - The
Dale that Died - though thankfully it has since revived. ITV's
famous 1975 documentary is to be screened afterwards.
And as always, there's fabulous music each night in pubs along
the line.
Walkers please note: No dogs other than registered assistance
dogs, will be accepted on Ride2stride walks.
Following the huge success of the Tornado steam
locomotive service offered by Northern for three days last week,
there are rumours that more such services may be in the offing.
MORE than 5,500 people travelled on services hauled by the
Tornado on the famous Settle and Carlisle line on six return runs
between Appleby and Skipton last week, it has been revealed.
Northern Rail said it was delighted by the public's reaction to
the first timetabled steam service in England for almost 50 years.
Extensive TV publicity following Tuesday's journeys brought bumper
crowds out for the final runs on Thursday.
With normal ticket prices applying, it was possible to travel
both ways for £10, using a Rail Card and the Day Ranger tickets. One
group from The Friends of A Dales High Way enjoyed the
trip, whilst another filmed the outing from the sidelines (see
film).
The initiative is part of celebrations to mark the re-opening of
the line between Appleby and Carlisle, which was closed a year ago
following a massive landslip on to the line at Eden Brows, on March
31.
Engineers have carried out an estimated £23 million worth of
repair work and other improvements to get it open again.
The re-opening will be celebrated with another steam locomotive
outing on March 31st - this one a charter excursion with the world
famous Flying Scotsman, though tickets cost a little more
at £220 per head.
Northern Rail regional director Paul Barnfield said "Obviously we
are absolutely delighted that this is proving such a great success,
not least because a lot of people from all the organisations
involved have worked very hard to make it happen, and it’s been a
very positive collaboration all round. We hope to take this into the
future.”
Douglas Hodgins, Chairman of the Friends of the Settle Carlisle
Line (FoSCL) added: “This has been a sell-out success and a huge
credit to all those involved. There must be lessons here about the
demand for steam, scenery and rail travel in general. It was the
perfect curtain raiser for the re-opening of the
Leeds-Settle-Carlisle route on 31 March.”
Slackliners were out on Malham Cove again this weekend, as they
rigged a line across the 90m high horeshoe chasm and crossed barefoot.
Astonishing!
The
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority posted photos of them in
action on their Facebook Page, bringing specatators in to watch in
amazement (see left).
Two years ago the Slackliners created a record by rigging a
line 210m long across the Cove - more than double the length that
had been seen before. Guy Ruyssevelt, Jacob Hirsch and Jed Doohan
made the attempted crossing high above the snow-capped landscape.
Watching them, Jake said on his Climb Out Blog: "I’m always
humbled by the skill and mental ability that walking a highline
requires. It just isn’t natural to walk into thin air along a 1 inch
wide webbing but don’t be fooled these boys are not idiots. They
take the environment seriously and they take their own safety even
more seriously. Even to the extent of informing the correct
authorities of their lines so that helicopters don’t pass by.
"These guys don’t have a death wish, they wear a harness and a
leash attached to the line for when they fall. Everything is
calculated and they have a lot of experience in rigging, Guy has
worked in rope access, Jake is a circus performer and Jed travels
all over Europe walking epic slacklines and pushing boundaries."
Slacklining refers to the act of walking or balancing along a
suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two
anchors. Highlining is Slacklining at a great height!
A rare treat for aficionados of Dales High Way
country is on offer over three
days
in mid-February when Northern railways is running some of its normal
service with a steam locomotive!
On the 14th, 15th and 16th of February a total of twelve Northern
services will be run by steam-hauled, seven-carriage trains. They
will pass over the ‘roof of England’ behind Britain’s newest steam
locomotive, Tornado. The world-famous line carves its way
through the spectacular scenery of Cumbria’s Eden Valley, the
Yorkshire Dales and crosses the majestic Ribblehead viaduct.
This unique operation is thought to be the first time in 50 years
that steam has been used to haul scheduled passenger trains in
England. The project is a celebration of the line’s
forthcoming official re-opening on 31st March 2017. It has
been closed for repairs between Armathwaite and Carlisle since
February 2016. The service will run between Skipton and Appleby.
Normal fares apply, but demand is expected to be high. Tickets
can be booked in advance online or at railway stations from today.
Advanced seat reservation is vital - walk on tickets will only apply
to limited seat availability on the day - likely to be
none-existant.
The Chairman of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, Douglas
Hodgins, said: “The intention here is to give local people
especially the opportunity of a real treat and a big ‘thank-you’ for
their loyalty and patience during 2016 while the line has been
closed to through traffic”.
Drew Haley, of the Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company,
commented: “This will be a spectacular one-off event for a very
special railway. Customers are advised to book early to make
sure of a seat reservation”.
Approximate Timings on the slightly revised timetable are:
Saltaire was once again the centre of movie action this week as
streets were cleared for the filming of Funny Cow.
The
movie, starring Maxine Peake and Vic Reeves, tells the tale of a
rising comedienne during the 1960's and '70's.
Filming took place on Mary Street and Upper Mary Street and
adjoining back alleys, depicting Peakes' character during her
childhood in the 1950's. The production company also created a
1950's set in one of the two-bedroom terraced houses. The film will
be released later this year.
Film producer Kevin Proctor said "We quickly decided that
Saltaire was the perfect location for our film when we came up to
see it. Saltaire is cinematic. We have not had to build any sets. It
is already here.
"People will see Saltaire when the film is released and get
goosebumps. It is not just a location, it is somewhere we have
picked."
Saltaire has become a favoured location for TV and movie
producers. Earlier this year Saltaire featured on BBC's The
Great Interior Design Challenge as designers competed to
make-over the front rooms of three of the village homes.
Saltaire is, of course, the start of A Dales High Way,
and most walkers setting out on the trail spend some time first
exploring the Victorian mill village World Heritage site.
Filming of Funny Cow is also taking part in other
Bradford district locations, including the Midland Hotel, Bradford
Playhouse and Shipley Market Square.
Nearby Haworth was the setting for BBC's recent film drama of the
Bronte sisters - To Walk Invisible.
David Wilson, director of Bradford City of Film said "We have a
long list of people who want to come back and film in the Bradford
district. The district has been used because of its rich film
heritage. It has been used as a film location for the last 100
years."
The Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) has been involved in two
rescues on
Ingleborough
as 2016 came to an end.
On the afternoon of December 29th a walker slipped on ice
descending from Ingleborough on the steep section heading towards
the Hill Inn, on the route of A Dales High Way.
The 38 year-old man sustained a suspected dislocated knee. Team
members responded and provided pain relief, before moving the
casualty on a stretcher to flatter ground on Humphrey Bottom. A
North West air ambulance was able to land and take the casualty to
hospital for treatment.
The following day 4 walkers, including a 14 year-old girl, with 2
dogs became disoriented in mist whilst walking on Ingleborough. The
walkers were able to contact the police via mobile roaming, but were
unable to give an accurate location. After several mistaken
locations, they found Gaping Gill, and were able to contact the duty
controller directly by responding to his calls to them. As
visibility was poor and night had fallen, they were told to stay
where they were until team members arrived to escort them from the
hill. Upon being met by 2 team members, they were loaned head
torches and walked down to the team vehicle for transport back down
to the road.
Liz Holloway later commented on the CRO's Facebook page: "Thank
you so much for returning my family to safety yesterday after being
lost on Ingleborough. I cannot praise you enough for ensuring their
safe return."
CRO is a voluntary rescue team, based in Clapham and made up of
local experienced cavers, climbers and walkers who give their time
freely to help those in need of assistance. The team is funded
entirely by charitable donations and is on call at all times, day or
night. Despite the name they mainly attend callouts for surface
incidents.
The CRO celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2015, a year in which
it attended 84 incidents. In that year costs amounted to £52,000,
but donations totalled £77,000.
Photo shows the team on a rescue from Penyghent on 19th November
2016. If you get into trouble on the fells, phone 999 and ask for
the Police, then tell them you need MOUNTAIN RESCUE.
The
Baildon group hold their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday
evening, 11 July. After the formal business of the AGM Chris
Grogan will give an illustrated talk about the long-distance
trail which passes Baildon Moor on its way to Ilkley. The public
are welcome to attend the AGM and the talk, where refreshments will be
available.
The
Friends of A Dales High Way have welcomed the coming Spring
with a new newsletter.
Those who have looked at this website before may have noticed
a few changes recently. 
Chris
Grogan, co-creator of A Dales High Way,
will be giving a light-hearted illustrated talk on how this
long-distance trail was devised, on Friday evening in Settle. 
The
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority posted photos of them in
action on their Facebook Page, bringing specatators in to watch in
amazement (see left).
The
movie, starring Maxine Peake and Vic Reeves, tells the tale of a
rising comedienne during the 1960's and '70's.
Ingleborough
as 2016 came to an end.
