|
A Dales High Way An
exhilarating 90 miles across the glorious high country of the Yorkshire
Dales Walk this
spectacular landscape from Saltaire to Appleby-in-Westmorland Explore
its rich history, geology and culture Return
with a breathtaking train ride along England's most beautiful railway More
than just a walk
"For those who love
long-distance walking, this new 90-mile route from Saltaire, near
Shipley, to Appleby will be a delight."
- Ann Clarke, Westmorland
Gazette
"Their description of
the route makes you want to pull your boots on and set off
immediately."
- Mike Priestley, T&A
"An excellent and
innovative route which is to be highly recommended for dedicated
fell walkers - my feet are itching to get started on this
walk!"
- Peter G. Davies, FoSCL
magazine
"The authors suggest the
return journey should be by train along the stunning Settle-Carlisle
Railway and I can think of no better way to end this spectacular
walk."
- Ann Clarke, Westmorland
Gazette
|
|
News en
route
Walking is the "new rock 'n' roll"!
The country's National Trails, which include the Pennine Way,
the  Cleveland
Way and the Yorkshire Wolds Way, have been walked by record
numbers this year.
In the first six months of 2009, "people counter"
devices buried under the Trails have shown an increase in footfall
of between 27% and 40%. And in the last three months the number of
people visiting the National Trails website has risen 41% on the
same period last year.
These figures reinforce other evidence that many people have
chosen walking holidays at home this year in response to the
recession.
Sheila Talbot, the National Trails Specialist, said "The
glorious autumn weather we have just experienced has made a
difference, with many people deciding to book a last minute
holiday in this country. All the signs are that 2010 will be
another bumper year for visitor numbers to our countryside. I
attended the "Walkers are Welcome" conference in September and for the first time heard the phrase
"walking is the new rock 'n' roll!" The increase in
media coverage this year, from walking articles in the press to
walking programmes on TV with glamorous young presenters such as
Julia Bradbury is certainly helping make walking cool".
According to Welcome to Yorkshire - the county's official
tourism agency - it has been a record breaking summer for
Yorkshire’s tourism industry. Helped by a weak pound and the
staycation summer, Yorkshire has outperformed the rest of the UK
by reporting increased visitor numbers, increased visitor spend
and increased occupancy levels.
See the National
Trails website, Welcome to
Yorkshire and visit Julia
Bradbury's website.
14 November 2009
Day school updates Dales Archaeology
The Prehistory of the Yorkshire Dales was examined at a public
day  school
in Grassington on Saturday.
The latest archaeological research was presented to an audience
of several hundred people who packed into the town hall.
An overview of the changing Dales environment during the late-
and post-glacial periods was given by Terry O'Conner. He pointed
out that the current Dales landscape, which we work so hard to
preserve, is perhaps only a few hundred years old. For much of the
last 12,000 years the area was covered by woodland, and wild bear
and lynx roamed here at least until the Anglo-Saxon period.
The morning session concentrated on cave archaeology, with
presentations by Roger Jacobi, Tom Lord and Tim Taylor. Radio
carbon dating on carved reindeer antler rods found in Victoria
cave near Settle show humans were present well over 12,000 years
ago.
The important contribution of community archaeology projects
featured in the afternoon sessions. New work on Prehistoric field
systems in Swaledale and Upper Wharfedale were presented by Tim
Laurie and Roger Martlew, with Alan King and Mark Simpson
describing evidence from a new survey around the Ingleborough
massif.
Finally Robert White, the National Park's Senior Conservation
Archaeologist, gave an overview of current research and areas of
concern in the Dales area. He highlighted the damage inadvertently
done to archaeological sites by walkers building cairns and
shelters. Those on Beamsley Beacon have already been removed and
similar action on Ingleborough is planned.
The event was an addition to the annual history day school put
on in April each year by the Dales National Park Authority. It was
jointly organised with People, Landscape And Cultural Environment
of Yorkshire (PLACE) and the Yorkshire Dales Landscape Research
Trust.
Speaking before the event, Robert White said: "It is a
must for anyone interested in local history and, unlike the April
day school which looks at a wide range of aspects of the historic
environment, this will concentrate on the prehistory in the
Yorkshire Dales - life before the Romans. One of the main subjects
will be the changing environment in the late and post-glacial
periods."
See the websites for PLACE
and the Yorkshire Dales
Landscape Research Trust.
1 November 2009
New Met forecast for Dales weather
The Yorkshire Dales now has it's own "mountain area"
weather forecast from the Met Office. The forecasts, which  will
be updated twice each day, include a colour-coded hazards forecast
to highlight key risks on the fells, including hill fog,
thunderstorms, chill effect and blizzards.
Pat Boyle, Public Weather Service Manager at the Met Office,
said: "The weather in the Dales can change with little or no
warning and an unprepared walker can quickly find themselves at
risk. Whether it's a well-planned expedition or a spur of the
moment decision to go to the hills, it is important to check the
forecast first".
Mark Allum, Access Projects Officer at the Yorkshire Dales
National Park Authority said: "The Yorkshire Dales is a
fantastic area for outdoor activities and, whether you are a hill
walker, a caver or a mountain biker, an accurate forecast is a
critical piece of information. The weather in the Dales is often
very different to what is happening in Leeds or York, so this
specific mountain weather forecast is very welcome."
The new forecasts for the Yorkshire Dales National Park will
join the comprehensive forecasts already provided for the Brecon
Beacons, Peak District, Snowdonia, Lake District, and West and
East Highlands.
See the Met
Office's Dales forecast here, or via our own Links
page.
23 October 2009
Researchers investigate decline of summer birds
Researchers from the RSBP are heading to Africa to try and
determine why there has been such an alarming decline in migratory
birds who come to northern Britain for the summer.
 |
Cuckoo (www.northeastwildlife.co.uk)
|
A decline of around 40% in species such as the cuckoo, wood
warbler and yellow wagtail has been recorded over the last three
decades. Other species affected include the nightingale, turtle
dove, flycatcher and winchat.
The RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), have
joined forces to mount the largest research project of its type to
understand more about our birds that spend the winter south of the
Sahara desert.
The project will involve researchers monitoring birds along a
corridor stretching from Ghana's Atlantic coast to northern
Burkina Faso, spanning a range of habitats from coastal rainforest
to the edge of the Sahara desert.
The RSPB's Dr Danaë Sheehan, who will be monitoring birds in
West Africa, said: "The drastic declines of some of our
best-loved summer-visiting birds, such as the cuckoo, turtle dove
and nightingale, is one of the greatest concerns currently raging
in conservation."
A number of potential causes for the declines of migrants have
been suggested, including: climate change, changes in rainfall
patterns, and land degradation. Predicted increases in human
population and climatic variability in West Africa are likely to
exacerbate these threats.
Of 105 widespread countryside birds in the UK, eight out of
twelve of those declining most rapidly since the mid 1990s are
summer migrants. According to the latest bird population
estimates, published in the 2008 Breeding Bird Survey, the
following summer migrants are suffering the greatest population
declines between 1995 and 2007: turtle dove,-66 per cent; wood
warbler,-60 per cent; pied flycatcher, -51 per cent; yellow
wagtail, -49 per cent; whinchat, -43 per cent; nightingale, -41
per cent; spotted flycatcher, -38 per cent; and cuckoo, -37 per
cent.
See the RSPB website and
the previous posting.
13 October 2009
Fair policing for Cautley
Residents of Cautley, near Sedbergh, are appealing for better 
policing in the run-up to next year's Appleby Horse Fair. They have
arranged a meeting with Cumbria Chief Constable Craig Mackey in
November hoping to resolve problems arising from temporary
encampments for travellers in the area.
This year's fair was hailed as a success by organisers and
Gypsy representatives, following the introduction of new
regulations and a Multi Agency Strategic Co-Ordinating Group to
oversee the event. Strict licensing regimes governed street
trading and caravan sites, with access to the traditional Fair
Hill site blocked until the start of the fair.
However, the new regime at Appleby led to greater pressure at
the transit camps south of the Eden Valley, such as the one at
Cote Moor, north of Cautley.
John Challoner, who set up a neighbourhood forum as a sounding
board for residents in the area of Cautley, said: “We sympathise
with the travellers because they are all being bundled together
and they are living up the road in Cautley for weeks and it’s
very unsanitary and unpleasant for them.
“We want better designated areas for caravans so they are not
just crammed together in one little corner and they can graze
their horses.”
“But our sympathies also go out to the police because they
have to deal with large numbers of people and to the local
residents because it is going on their doorstep.”
Local MP Tim Farron said Cumbria Constabulary had done a ‘brilliant’
job of policing the Eden district during the annual event but said
the southern district past Cautley had been almost entirely ‘lawless’.
He said: “Cumbria Constabulary has taken the view that this
is an Appleby problem but it affects villages all the way up the
roads to Appleby.
“When the travellers get to Eden they can’t move any
further than Cautley. There were plenty of police in Eden but only
about two officers on Cautley road.”
The number of Gypsy and Traveller visitors this year was around
20 per cent down on 2008, with around 1,500 caravans at Appleby
and around 1,500 horses sold.
3 October 2009
See the official Appleby
Horse Fair site here. See Previous
posting here.
|
|
A Dales High Way Companion
[
Buy Direct from Publisher ]
"If you fancy hiking
the 93 miles from Saltaire to Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria,
this beautifully designed and illustrated book would indeed be an
ideal companion to have in the back-pack."
- Jim Greenhalf,
T&A
"I cannot recommend this guide highly
enough."
- Mike Addison,
Westmorland Gazette
"it would make a fine
present for you, or a friend. Thoroughly recommended"
- Pete Shaw, FoSCL magazine
A Dales High Way: Route
Guide
[
Buy Direct from Publisher ]
"At £6.99 this is an
excellently-produced, pocket-sized publication, printed in full
colour on quality paper."
- Mike Priestley,
T&A
"This pocket sized book
contains many interesting photographs and informative descriptions
of the history, geology and the culture of the area - worth buying
for these alone."
- Jay Dingley, Strider
"It contains
large-scale coloured maps for every two to four miles of the
route, and these are full of detailed helpful directions."
- Keith Wadd,
West Riding Rambler
|
|
