A team of rangers and volunteers has re-surfaced part of the Coast to Coast path near Ravenseat in North Yorkshire, with the help of a donation from the guided walking company, HF Holidays.
Seven members of HF Holidays (pictured) saw for themselves the flags that have been laid across an often water-logged 110 metre section.
HF Holidays donated nearly £7,000 to the project.
The re-surfacing works in Upper Swaledale have coincided with news that a formal proposal is to be brought forward to designate the Coast to Coast footpath as a National Trail.
HF Holidays walk leader, Richard Tolley, a former resident of Kirkby Stephen now living in Rutland, said: “Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route is a popular classic trail for HF Holidays guests and leaders and we always try to help protect and improve the countryside where we walk. It was great to see in person the repairs to the path near Ravenseat and the difference our Pathways Fund can make.”
The Swaledale Area Ranger at the National Park Authority, Michael Briggs, said: “It often surprises people to learn that the Coast to Coast (C2C) route isn’t part of the family of National Trails. We need to maintain it alongside all the other public rights of way in the National Park. This is where organisations such as HF Holidays play a vital role. Time and again HF have been more than willing to generously contribute to our work.
“We like to build things to last and help protect the fragile peat environment this section of the C2C passes through. The path is now more resistant to increasing footfall. The C2C brings a steady stream of people to the local businesses along the route, so it’s become an important asset for Swaledale.”
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Member Champion for Recreation Management, Nick Cotton, added: “The designation of the Coast to Coast as a National Trail is an objective in the National Park Management Plan 2019-2024. With support from organisations such as HF Holidays and the works we have completed in recent years to the Dales part of the route, we believe the Coast to Coast would prove to be a valuable addition to the family of National Trails.”
Great work all involved!
I walked the Pennine Way twice back in the seventies. The first time at Black Hill there were no flagstones and the path was a quagmire!
The flagstones made all the difference and prevented a ton of erosion by passing walkers.
The bit you have just flagged l think is high level with spectacular views so well done there. It is always helpful to be admiring the scenery rather than minding where you are putting your feet!
If memory serves me well the flagstones came from the Lancashire Cotton Mills where the massive cotton spinning machines stood on the flagstone floors. You may have seen holes on the surface of the stones and wondered what they were. They were locator points to settle the weighty machines in because if they moved and became unbalanced then axle bearings would wear differentially and cause great damage.
All that being said l wondered what method you used for settling the stones on the peat? They are a weight so what surface did you put them on?
Good luck with the path renewal scheme.
Philip
It is always nice to hear from users of routes we help to look after.
The information you have give about the holes in the stones is appreciated.
To answer your question, we don’t lay the flags on any other substrate than the underlying soil – not in this case anyway. The peat is quite shallow here so just scraping off the top few inches of grass exposes the firmer mineral soil beneath – in what we call a “tray”. In some places an overturned grass turf is sufficient underlay and in wetter patches where a stone “bridge” is not quite necessary the flags may be doubled up and will “float” quite nicely at the surface.