A village in Wharfedale is upgrading streetlights to be dark sky friendly just in time for the annual Dark Skies Festival, which will see events held around the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a designated International Dark Sky Reserve.
With support from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Threshfield Parish Council is nearing completion of a project to install LED bulbs in 28 lampposts, which are positioned to prevent light pollution. In addition,19 of the streetlights are being programmed to go dark between midnight and 5 am each night.
Chair of Threshfield Parish Council, Cathy Bradley-Richardson, said: “The Parish Council was concerned at the rising costs of running and repairing our streetlights, so moving to LED bulbs is now helping to reduce the village’s energy bills, carbon emissions and light pollution.
“The LED lights throw a warmer white colour onto road and path surfaces, rather than into the sky, so it is kinder on the eyes and better for wildlife, whilst keeping key areas lit up.”
The Dark Skies Festival begins on Friday, running from 13 February to 1 March 2026. Events and activities include stargazing talks with astronomers and astrophysicists at some of the darkest locations in the National Park, night-time evening hikes, astro-photography classes and canoeing in the dark.
To help promote this year’s festival, Swaledale astrophotographer Paul Clark is sharing his striking image of the milky way as seen at night at Old Gang Smelt Mill, a site which features as a location in the new “Wuthering Heights” film (see feature image). He is also giving an illustrated talk in Askrigg.
All Dark Skies Festival event locations, as well as dark sky friendly hospitality businesses and recommended places to view the night sky, have been mapped. Events are happening across the North York Moors National Park as well as the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Member Champion for Promoting Understanding at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Neil Heseltine, said: “It’s always encouraging when local communities take action to conserve our dark sky. So we are delighted to support Threshfield Parish Council – through the National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund – to upgrade their streetlights.”
“People searching for the awe and wonder of a truly dark sky can come to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and look up! And there’s no better time to do so than during the Dark Skies Festival, when events will bring people together to enjoy the dark sky and learn more about it.”
