How much is the Dales Way worth?

That’s the question being posed by authorities who are surveying walkers on the route which runs from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness on the shores of Windermere.

Cam Houses, on the Dales Way in Yorkshire 

The Dales Way Association wants to how much cash users of the long-distance path put into communities on the route and what they think of the trail. Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) volunteers will be helping association members get walkers views in Sedbergh next month.

A survey was carried out at Hubberholme earlier. The survey aims to find out what type of people use the route and how many of them there are.

Iain Mann, the YDNPA Area Ranger for Upper Wharfedale, said: “It’s important that we have this kind of information because it helps us to assess the value of the route both in terms of its use and popularity among walkers and the amount of money it generates for local economies.

“It also helps us when we bid for additional resources to promote the Dales Way through the national park.”

Association chairman Colin Speakman said: “We have long known that the Dales Way has benefited the local economy in the Dales as walkers staying overnight have spent money on food, accommodation and services.  

“This survey will give us the vital evidence we need to justify more investment in one of the best examples in the Yorkshire Dales of truly sustainable tourism.”

The 82 miles of the Dales Way take the walker from the edge of the West Yorkshire conurbation into the heart of Cumbria. Much of its distance is within the Yorkshire Dales national park, and its last few miles lie within the Lake District national park.