⚠️ Archived Content
This page relates to the 2019–2024 National Park Management Plan, which is now archived. For the latest aims and objectives, please visit the 2025–30 Management Plan landing page.
Benefit a wide variety of users by raising the standard of all public rights of way so that 90% are ‘easy to use’ by 2023.
How the local partners are doing on this objective
Progress: 92% of the 2,600km of public rights of way were easy to use in March 2025, up from 89% the year before. Engineering works were carried out to improve 1.4 km , including 460m of resurfacing work on the Three Peaks route at Beecroft, Horton in Ribblesdale, and 220m of new flagging on Buckden Pike.
The average over the last five years is 90% easy to use – having improved from 82% in 2018. 1,660 stiles (and almost 1,800 gates have been repaired or replaced over the same period on behalf of landowners/farmers (36% of all the stiles and 30% of all the gates in the National Park).
Press Releases & related articles:
16 June 2025 – Footbridge replaced, as path maintenance figures set out
3 December 2024 – Rangers receive British Horse Society award
5 November 2024 – Club donates to Swaledale boardwalk
12 December 2023 – ‘Last link’ restored in flood hit northern dales
17 March 2023 – Earl opens footpath in Tebay
23 December 2022 – Thanks for reclaimed stone donation
29 June 2021 – Rights of way network maintained
4 June 2021 – Rights of way agreement signed with Lancashire CC
2 April 2021 – New path near Ingleborough summit
20 July 2020 – Popular ‘Three Peaks’ fellside path to close for repair.
Rationale: The National Park has one of the best rights of way networks in the country. These routes are fundamental to people’s enjoyment of the Park’s special qualities – around 80% of people go on a short or long walk while they are here. The condition of rights of way in the new area of the National Park is significantly lower (67% easy to use) than the rest (89%). Bringing these paths up to the same standard as the rest of the National Park over the next five years will be challenging but achievable.
Lead partner: Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Supporting partners: North Yorkshire Council; Westmorland & Furness Council; Lancashire County Council.
Further information: YDNPA – Footpath repairs and maintenance, PRoW Annual report 2020/21
Cost over 5 years: £4,100,000
Funding shortfall: Each year a significant amount of external funding is raised to help meet the costs of the maintenance and enhancement of public rights of way in the National Park. 237k in 2015/16, 244k in 2016/17, 440k in 2017/18
Related objectives: B2; B3; B8; B9; B10; E2; E3
Ecosystem services: Recreation; A sense of place and inspiration; A sense of history.
Trade-offs: Works to rights of way can potentially have impacts on landscape character (A3) and priority habitats (C1). Management and mitigation of these impacts is guided by principles set out in the Special Qualities, Special Experience document.
Baseline: 82% of public RoW were easy to use in March 2018.
‘State of the Park’ indicator – YES