A 90 mile walk across the glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales
A Dales High Way
News Archive 2020
Flash Floods Batter the Western Dales
Sunday night saw flash floods across North Yorkshire and the
western Dales as the storm ex-Hurricane Zeta struck.
As the water levels kept rising Appleby Emergency Response
Group worked through the night keeping in regular contact with
the Environment Agency. The warning to take immediate action
came just after 4am and by 5.30am the River Eden had burst its
banks and was on the pavement.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said they had worked
throughout Sunday night to respond to "multiple" reports of
flooding, using crews from Hawes, Reeth, Leyburn, Colburn,
Bentham, Settle, Skipton, Lofthouse, Grassington and Richmond.
Roads were closed in Dentdale, Sedbergh, Garsdale, Skipton,
Addingham and Ilkley. Trains on the Settle-Carlisle line were
cancelled as the line flooded. Heavy rain overnight had caused
flooding at Melling Tunnel, between Settle and Blea Moor, and
between Hellifield and Carnforth. As a result, both the Skipton
and Carlisle and Skipton and Lancaster lines were closed in both
directions.
FELL rescue volunteers went to the aid of Yorkshire Three
Peaks walkers on Sunday as they struggled with bad weather near
to the summit of Ingleborough. The Clapham based Cave Rescue
sent a team out in search of the three walkers at just before
6pm who in the end managed to get back down to the peak
themselves.
As of today, the flood waters are receding, but the legacy of
damage to roads, paths and bridges remains to be seen. And this
all has to dealt with as new lockdown restrictions begin.
Dales High Way in top 25 Big Trails of British Isles
A Dales High Way heads up the list in
a stunning new book highlighting the best 25 long-distance
trails in the British Isles.
Big Trails - Great Britain and Ireland is published
this week by Sheffield based Vertebrate Publishing, who have
been producing award-winning outdoor adventure and
mountaineering guides since 2004.
The big glossy book "is an inspirational guide to the most
iconic, spectacular and popular long-distance trails in England,
Scotland, Northern Ireland,, Ireland and the Isle of Man." It is
crammed with gorgeous pictures, informative overviews and
detailed outlines of each of the 25 featured routes.
It features 4 big trails on the island of Ireland, including
the "Best Off the Beaten Track Trail" - the Beara Way; 3 in
Scotland, including "Britain's Friendliest Trail" - the West
Highland Way; 3 in Wales, including the "Wildest Adventure" -
the Cambrian Way; and the Isles of Man's Raad ny Foillan -
"Perfect for All the Family".
Of the remaining 14 trails, 5 cross Yorkshire: The Pennine
Way; Wainwright's Coast to Coast; The Cleveland Way; the Dales
Way and A Dales High Way.
A Dales High Way is described as one of the "undiscovered
gems" amongst the trails. "...the verdant lushness of the Eden
valley, the timelessness of dry stone walls lining high
pastures, the sparkling waterfalls, and the wide blue
bird-strewn skies will make you fall in love with this high
route over the Dales. In spring you crush wild garlic in
bluebell-rich woods, and in summer the moors glow purple with
heather. On a fine day this may be the brightest and most
beautiful countryside you'll encounter in England."
The book is designed to inspire big adventures rather than be
carried as a guide and provides everything needed to plan and
explore further.
Big Trails - Great Britain and Ireland, edited by
Kathy Rogers and Stephen Ross, (Vertebrate Publishing, ISBN
9781839810008) £17.99.
An amazing new way of reaching injured walkers on the fells
was tested out in Langdale, Cumbria last week.
A jet suit which could fly a paramedic to an isolated
casualty in minutes has been described as “awesome” by an air
ambulance service which covers parts of Yorkshire and Cumbria.
The system has been demonstrated in a test flight in the Lake
District after a year of discussions between the Great North Air
Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and the firm which has developed the
technology, Gravity Industries.
Richard Browning , Gravity Industries founder and chief test
pilot, flew from the valley bottom in Langdale, Cumbria, to a
simulated casualty site on The Band, near Bowfell.
GNAAS said the casualty site would have taken around 25
minutes to reach by foot but Mr Browning arrived in his 1050
brake horsepower jet suit in 90 seconds, and that the suit could
save lives.
Andy Mawson, director of operations and paramedic at GNAAS,
said the Lake District could be a possible location for a “Jet
Suit paramedic” following a study of the charity’s call-out
data.
He said: “It showed dozens of patients every month within the
complex but relatively small geographical footprint of the
Lakes. We could see the need. What we didn’t know for sure is
how this would work in practice. Well, we’ve seen it now and it
is, quite honestly, awesome.”
GNAAS and Gravity Industries said they wanted to thank
Langdale Mountain Rescue Team, the National Trust, Stool End
Farm and Cumbria Police for helping make the test possible.
It has been the best year for hen harrier breeding in England
since Natural England’s hen harrier recovery project was
established in 2002, with 60 chicks fledged from 19 nests across
Northumberland, the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and Lancashire in early
summer 2020.
Natural England has attached satellite tags to 23 of these
birds.
The success has been down to several factors including
high numbers of voles which are a key food source, good weather,
and strong partnership working.
Hen harriers were once found across upland and lowland
Britain, however after 1830 it became an exceptionally rare
breeding bird in England due to raptor persecution, which was
then made illegal in 1954. The hen harrier is now one of
England’s rarest birds of prey.
Tony Juniper, Chairman of Natural England, said: “Despite the
great progress there is though no cause for complacency. Too
many birds still go missing in unexplained circumstances and I
urge anyone who is still engaged in the persecution of these
magnificent creatures to cease at once. Hen harriers remain
critically endangered in England and there is a long way to go
before the population returns to what it should be.”
Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association, said:
“Twelve of the nests reported today are on land managed for
grouse shooting and this reflects a genuine commitment from moor
owners and managers to work with others and help rebuild the
harrier population.”
This year’s success means that 141 hen harrier chicks have
fledged over the past three years alone.
There's still a fortnight to enjoy a first class luxury rail
journey along the Settle-Carlisle line.
Whilst restrictions on rail travel were beginning to ease, a new
tourist luxury daily charter service began to run on the Settle
to Carlisle line.
With three daily return journeys between Skipton and Appleby,
stopping at Settle only, the service began on July 20th and will
finish on September 12th.
The train is made up of First-Class carriages offering
spacious, well-padded seats and large windows from which
passengers can view the stunning scenery. Tickets cost £39 per
couple one-way.
The charter train service consists of four Mark 3 First-Class
coaches (FOs) and one Mark 2 compartment brake vehicle (BFK),
the latter not open for public use. The train is hauled by
two class 47 locomotives, one at either end. The train
will be operated by Locomotive Services Ltd (TOC) and promoted
through Rail Charter Services Ltd and The Settle Carlisle
Railway Development Company Ltd.
All services have stringent social distancing measures in
place to ensure the best safety for both customers and staff on
board. With online pre-booking, individual seating areas
divided by Perspex screens, and a socially divided one-way
boarding and alighting system - passengers are made to feel at
ease from the beginning of their journey.
It's also a great way to enjoy the return journey for those
walkers completing A Dales High Way in
the next 2 weeks!
The path alongside Glovershaw Beck, near the start of A Dales
High Way, has been repaired using an ingenious technique and is
open once again.
There was a real problem facing Bradford Council's
countryside team when the path was washed away for the second
time in three years following Storm Ciara in February. The steep
beckside wall was scoured away by floodwater, leaving a
precarious thin ledge for walkers. The council had no option but
to close the path until a solution could be found.
With the steep banking clearly susceptible to further
erosion, and the landowner reluctant to allow continued
encroachment into their field, a really novel solution was
required.
Contractors from midlands-based Geogrow Ltd. were called to
help instal a deep "green" revetment - a "Vegetated Wall
System" called Rootlok - to support the path.
Rootlok is described as "a soft engineered system that is a
competitive alternative to concrete, gabion and other hard
revetment systems that do little to benefit the natural
environment."
Permable geotextile bags filled with gravel form the lower
layers, with bags containing a seeded mixture of soils, compost
and sands forming the upper layers. The bags are bound together
and back filled to form a stable revetment that will grass-over
in time.
Further stone support has been added to the upstream side.
Bradford Countryside officer Richard Perham said "We have
never used it before, but I think we will again."
The Bradford countryside team have also worked along the
whole section - the path strimmed and cleared, branches trimmed,
a fence and gate restored, the wire fence repaired. It's an
amazing job.
Much of the accommodation along A Dales High Way is open for
business once more, as restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic
are eased.
But the pattern is patchy in some areas. The Friends of A
Dales High Way have been checking to see what the current
situation is.
Some pubs remain closed for the foreseeable future, such as
both Dent pubs - the Sun Inn and the George & Dragon. Others
that remain closed at this time include the Craven Heifer at
Stainforth and the Golden Lion Hotel at
Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The Tufton Arms Hotel at Appleby is
planning to re-open soon.
Most of the pubs and hotels that are open, along with cafes
and restaurants, are offering Eat Out to Help Out discounts,
so this month is a good time to visit
Youth Hostels, including those in Malham and Ingleton, are
accepting whole house bookings only at the current time,
along with some B&B providers such as Bracken Hall House in
Baildon and bunkbarns like Broadrake near Chapel-le-Dale. Sadly
the very popular Brownber Hall at Newbiggin-on-Lune has moved to
whole-house booking on a permanent basis.
Accommodation that is open may have restricted capacity.
Most campsites have re-opened, but those still closed include
Moorgarth at Ingleton.
The Accommodation listing on this website includes all the
B&Bs, hotels, pubs and campsites we know about along the route,
but you should check with each directly as to their current
availability as this is changing all the time.
If you know of any further changes, please let us know.
UPDATE: Aug 20, The George &
Dragon in Dent has now re-opened.
The descent from the foot of the summit peak of Ingleborough,
down to Humphrey Bottom, on the northern flank of the mountain,
is a very steep, rocky climb down an engineered path.
The path, known as High Lot, is used by tens of thousands of
people a year walking between Chapel le Dale and the top of the
mountain – often as part of a Yorkshire Three Peaks route - as
well as walkers on A Dales High Way.
High footfall, heavy rainfall, drainage issues and a steep
incline has caused the existing stone pitched path, installed in
the late 1980s, to slip.
The path will be closed for several months from next week
(27th of July 2020) to allow repairs to be undertaken.
An alternative route will be in place. This follows the ridge
edge of Simon Fell NE for 3/4 of a mile (just over 1 kilometre),
before descending steeply alongside the wall.
During the past month, staff from contractors Terra Firma
Environmental Ltd have picked and bagged 160 tonnes of large
gritstone blocks from a nearby scree slope. Later this
week the stone will be lifted by helicopter and dropped next to
the path in readiness for works to begin.
A total of 172 metres of stone pitching will be removed, with
the gritstone blocks then dug deep into the ground to make a
durable new 1.5 metre wide pitched path. Associated
drainage and landscaping work will also be undertaken.
Nick Cotton, Member Champion for Recreation Management at the
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “High Lot
is one of the most well used public paths in one of the finest
National Nature Reserves in the country.
“It is important for people to observe the temporary closure
of the path. The High Lot section of path to be repaired
is very narrow and there isn’t room for the contractors to work
safely with walkers passing by. I would ask that people
walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks look up the alternative route
to the summit that we are recommending, and give themselves a
bit more time to complete it, as it is a steep way and not easy
to use.”
Alternatively, walkers heading for Ribblehead can continue
along the ridge edge of Simon fell and Park fell before
descending on an easier incline to Ribblehead, as outlined in
the Dales High Way Route Guide.
See more details of the temporary diversion here.
21 July 2020
Summer Newsletter
The new Summer Newsletter from the Friends of A Dales High
Way is now available.
Though things have been quiet over the last three months due
to Covid-19 restrictions, there's still plenty to celebrate over
the last year.
Building Bridges is the theme of an article from our
Secretary Chris Grogan on the conflicting pressures on rural and
urban communties following the pandemic.
There's a feature on the Top Ten Wildlife you might
expect to spot on the walk, and excerpts from social media of a well-known TV celebrity who has been exploring
Dales High Way country over the winter, in ALL weathers!
There's also the latest news updates and a tough Dales High
Way Wordsearch to keep you entertained.
Like so many other volunteer organisations this year, the Friends' committee held their Annual
General
Meeting by Zoom.
But as restrictions begin to ease and the
prospect of B&Bs and pubs re-opening in the near future, walkers
will once again return to enjoy the wonderful landscapes of the
Yorkshire Dales and Eden Valley.
A trio of supercars have been touring Dales High Way country,
as the BBC filmed an episode of the TV series Top Gear this
week.
On Tuesday the Station Inn at Ribblehead, a favourite with Dales High Way walkers, posted several pictures and added:
"So after almost three months of isolation following closure on
March 23rd today we were delighted to welcome the team Top Gear
to The Station Inn who used our car park as a base whilst
filming for the upcoming new series. A great bunch and a manic
day for both them and their cars. The Yorkshire weather mainly
held off and even the RAF popped by to take a look!!
"Hopefully we will eventually get a green light to open The
Inn so everyone can enjoy this fabulous place !!"
Unfortunately Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness came a
cropper shortly afterwards running his red Lamborghini Diablo
off the road and into a field on the way to Hawes. Fortunately
he was unhurt. The TV star wrote on Instagram he had had a "bit
of a prang" but insisted things were "all nice and bonny".
Dales High Way walkers generally enjoy the countryside at a
more leisurely and safer pace.
Large crowds are flocking back to Yorkshire Dales honey-spots
as the government eases restrictions on the Covid-19 Lockdown
rules.
The relaxation of rules comes at the end of a Spring which
has proved to be the sunniest in England since records began.
The National Park Authority re-opened car parks in mid May,
following the government's new guidelines on exercise and
leisure, which permitted travel for any distance to walk. As
expected, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Malham in particular proved
popular destinations.
On the following Bank Holiday weekend, car parks quickly
filled and there were real problems with traffic at Malham.
The National Park Authority is urging travellers to check
their Car Park Status Webpage in the Dales before travelling.
Last Thursday Mark Sadler, Communications Manager with the
National Park said "Experience of recent weekends indicates that
car parks in the south of the National Park – especially Malham
and Horton-in-Ribblesdale – fill up early and quickly. We would
therefore recommend, in addition to regularly checking the
status of car parks, that people consider using car parks and
walks in other parts of the National Park. "
By Saturday afternoon, though, most of the car parks were
already full (see image).
Footpaths are open for walkers, including A Dales
High Way, though at the moment only for day walks.
Campsites are expected to be the first accommodation sites to
open in the near future. B&Bs, hotels, restaurants and pubs are
likely to be the last to reopen their doors to travellers.
This week would have seen the 9th annual Ride2Stride Walking
and Music Festival, but Covid-19 has meant the busy programme
has been put back to 2021.
This week-long free festival of walks, talks and music
covering Dales High Way country using stations along the line of
the world-famous Settle-Carlisle railway has proved to be
incredibly popular, attracting participants from across the
country and the globe!
One of the special features of this years' programme was the
inclusion of a complete long distance trail for the first time -
the Six Peaks Trail was to be covered on four consecutive days.
This challenging 48-mile hike takes in 6 major peaks,
including the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks of Pen-y-ghent,
Ingleborough and Whernside, along with Great Knoutberry, Swarth
Fell and Wild Boar Fell. With a total ascent of over 3
kilometres, this is not for the faint-hearted.
The first day from Settle to Horton on Wednesday would have
taken in Pen-y-ghent. Thursday would have been especially tough
taking in both Ingleborough and Whernside to finish at
Ribblehead. Today was to have crossed Blea Moor and over Great
Knoutberry to finish in Garsdale. Tomorrow would have seen the
final leg crossing Swarth Fell and the magnificent Wild Boar
Fell before dropping to Kirkby-Stephen.
Each leg would offer the comfort of a pub to finish and music
from some of the best session musicians in the region. Anyone
completing all four legs would have received a special
certificate of achievement.
Alas, this year we can only dream, but why not join Bridget
and David on their video diary of day 3 filmed in 2016 (above), and
enjoy.
Public footpaths will remain open for local walkers, in order
to exercise safely during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
A Dales High Way is closed to
long-distance walkers for the time-being, but sections remain
open to locals who live along the route.
Last week the Yorkshire Dales National park Authority spelt
out clearly its position on public footpaths in the area. In a
published statement, Mark Sadler, Communications Manager with
the YDNPA, said: "We have received concerns from some members of
the public about rights of way remaining open at the present
time.
"At present we believe public rights of way in the Yorkshire
Dales National Park provide an opportunity for local people to
take exercise, physical and spiritual, and get some fresh air in
these difficult times. These paths should not be blocked or
obstructed.
"It is also important to stress that people should not be
making special journeys to access them. Travel to exercise is
NOT essential travel and people should not be travelling to do
their daily exercise."
There was major concern at the number of people driving up to
Malham and other areas a fortnight ago.
The statement continues "Where rights of way pass close to,
or through residential and agricultural properties, it is
important that the existing Government advice regarding social
distancing and hand washing is adhered to."
Nick Cotton, Member Champion for recreation management said:
“Walking or cycling in the Yorkshire Dales, carried out
responsibly, with social distancing from other people, is an
excellent way to maintain our physical and mental health. These
are both vital components in keeping our strength and
maintaining our spirits through the Covid-19 crisis. The days
are getting longer and we should channel the energy of
springtime to help us face the future with positive feelings of
rebirth and renewal”
Outdoor events in Dales High Way country have been
postponed or cancelled due to the spread of Coronavirus.
With infections expected to peak in May, some events have
been pushed back to late summer, by which time it is hoped the
pandemic will have run its course.
The annual Three Peaks Fell Race which was due to be
held on the 25th April this year, has been rescheduled for
Saturday 26th September.
Organisers said "Our main concern over the infection risk was
the start and finish area where we have upwards of 1,200 people
in the marquee used for registration and the prize giving.
"Our decision should make it easier for people to plan other
events and avoid unnecessary travelling. The revised date of
26th September 26 will be confirmed as soon as possible. We are
working with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to
avoid clashes with other events planned for that weekend."
The 58th Fellsman Race, due to be held also on the
25th and 26th April, has been cancelled completely. The 61-mile
route starts in Ingleton, crossing Ingleborough and Whernside
before passing through Dentdale and on into Wherfedale to finish at
Threshfield. Around 400 runners participate.
Organisers said " This is not a decision we have taken
lightly and we are aware that many will be bitterly
disappointed. We wished to make the decision ourselves, before
it could be made for us."
The Punk Panther Ultra-marathon race along
A Dales High Way, originally scheduled for
Saturday May 9 - 10, involving up to 200 runners, has closed to
entrants until further notice.
HF Holidays have closed their country houses until at least
the end of April, which will mean that their planned Dales
High Way Walking Holiday for that month will have to be
re-scheduled or cancelled altogether.
All pubs and cafes along the route have now closed and great
efforts are being made by Walking Holiday providers and B&B's to
rearrange any planned bookings.
The 2020 Ride2Stride Walking Festival has been
cancelled for this year, though dates for next year have been
confirmed. Guided walks by the Friends of the
Settle-Carlisle Line (FoSCL), Friends of Dale Rails
(FDR) and the Ramblers have all been postponed
until after the current crisis.
The third edition of A Dales High Way Route Guide is now
available.
Fully updated, the slim book is specially designed for use as
the primary route guide for the walk.
The route is set out in a series of detailed strip maps at a
scale of 1:25,000. The book is robust, pocket-sized and the
detailed route maps carry instructions ON the maps themselves.
Each copy comes in an optional but handy, weather resistant
plastic wallet.
Colin Speakman, well known author and fell walker and
chairman of the Dales Way Association said: “It is a
particularly lovely route and because it is at a higher level to
the Dales Way, offers a different kind of experience. It
is also offers a marvellous introduction to the extended
Yorkshire Dales and Westmorland Fells National Park."
A Dales High Way is entering its twelfth year as a long
distance trail, and is proving increasingly popular with walkers
looking for an adventurous and challenging route.
This May it is to host an ultra-marathon race for up to 200
runners, who have to complete the 90-mile route in under 36
hours. The event is being organised by Punk Panther.
A Dales High Way Route Guide (Third Edition). ISBN:
978-1-911321-06-4 (Skyware Ltd) Feb 2020. £8.99
Just as the flooding from Storm Ciara begins to subside, more
flooding is likely on its way with Storm Dennis.
Many areas along the route of A Dales High Way have been
affected, with flash flooding in Appleby, Dent and Saltaire.
River levels have now dropped, but many paths remain muddy and
waterlogged.
Over 100mm of rain fell in an 18 hour period on Sunday - one
month's worth in a single day. Many trains were cancelled,
including those on the Settle-Carlisle line. Storm Dennis is
expected to bring high winds and about 80mm more rain this
weekend, but with rivers already high and the ground
waterlogged, more flooding seems inevitable.
High waters in Glovershaw Beck, near the start of A Dales
High Way, have swept away revetments and parts of the path that
were only repaired after flooding in 2017. At the moment the
path is still passable with care, but that may change soon.
Walkers along this part of the route are advised to consider
alternatives.
Chris Grogan of the Friends of A Dales High Way said "Though
we believe the trail as a whole is still open, at this time it
is probably best to avoid some of the low level, farmland paths
which have been flooded. They are likely to be very muddy. And,
of course, higher level sections should not be tackled in high
winds and heavy rain. Please check in advance and take care out
there."
The worst affected paths are in the lower, arable areas of
the trail. Walkers should be aware of potential problems -
Grotspots - and the options before setting off on the trail.
UPDATE: 2 Mar 2020 - This section of path is now
subject to a temporary closure notice by Bradford Council, until
repairs can be made. Please use the suggested alternatives until
further notice.
Skipton has scooped over £1.2 million of government funding
to boost its Skipton High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ)
initiative.
The money from Historic England is part of a £95 million pot
to revitalise the nation's high streets.
Craven County Council will oversee the project. Its Policy
committee members were told the overarching theme of the Skipton
HAZ was to "start the process of changing the profile of users
of Skipton town centre towards a greater focus on young people
and families" and make it more walking and cycle friendly.
A breakdown of the grant shows £258,480 spent on a
performance venue at the town hall, £150,000 on Coach Street
public square and improving its accessibility, £35,000 on
ginnels (making safe routes linking the high street to secondary
retail areas and which are currently unlit, litter-strewn and
have uneven surfaces), £85,000 on creating youth markets on the
setts and £600,000 on an Otley Street Arts House.
Pedestrianising some areas and encouraging more accommodation
in the high street was also suggested at the Policy committee
meeting.
The programme is spread over four years and Heritage England
have made it clear they want the design to cover four threads -
community engagement, physical intervention, conservation and
heritage and a cultural programme.
Skipton is a popular overnight stop for walkers on A Dales High Way. Skipton High Street was voted "Best in Britain" in 2009 by the
Academy for Urbanism and the town itself was deemed the "best
place to live in the UK" by the Sunday Times in 2014.
Walkers can enjoy exploring Dales High Way country at their
leisure with the help of a brand new edition of Dales Rail
Trails which is published this month.
The new edition features 32 walks from stations along the
world-famous Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway - 18 circular walks
of between 6 and 12 miles long, with an additional 14 linear
walks linking stations along the line. Each route has detailed
large-scale mapping at a scale of 1:25,000, with descriptive
notes and full colour photographs. Each route has been
re-surveyed to bring it bang up-to-date.
Chris Grogan, co-author of the guidebook, said "This is our
favourite walking country and we loved every minute of the work
producing this book. We worked with fellow walk leaders from the
Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line (FoSCL) to check the routes,
and we continue to help lead many of the routes as part of
FoSCL's free led-walks programme."
The book also includes details of 2 long distance trails: the
very popular 24-mile Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Route and
the altogether tougher 48-mile Six Peaks Trail.
Publication of the first edition in 2011 inspired the
creation of the Ride2Stride Walking Festival, which continues to
go from strength to strength. This year's Festival will include
four FoSCL led walks on consecutive days covering the whole Six
Peaks Trail - a tough challenge indeed!
Dales Rail Trails, by Tony & Chris Grogan, costs £9.99 and is
available online from Skyware Press, or from the FoSCL shop at
Settle station.
The upland landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales are likely to
change dramatically in the future, if suggested moves are taken
to tackle the climate crisis.
The former chief scientific advisor to the government, Prof
Sir Ian Boyd, has called for half the UK farmland to be switched
from farmland to woodland, mostly in upland areas which are
unsuitable for growing crops. He said such a change would see
cattle and sheep production fall by up to 90%, with subsidies
used instead for storing carbon.
"It would be much better to store carbon and water, grow
trees and make land available for people to improve their
health" he said.
Tree planting along riverbanks and feeder streams, such as
the River Ribble, is already being employed to help reduce
flooding. Restoration of blanket bogs on moorland such as
Rombalds Moor is also being actively promoted.
In May a report from Rewilding Britain called for 25% of the
nation to be returned to natural habitat.
Surprisingly, Brexit might prove a catalyst for change. The
current EU system pays farmers grants according to the amount of
land they own. The government plans to shift farm subsidies
towards what it calls "public money for public goods" - a
principle supported by Rewilding Britain.
Photo shows tree planting along the Ribble near Stainforth,
courtesy of the Ribble Trust.
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