Countryside rangers Andy Brown and Ben Jackson at work on the path improvements

Walkers on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk will have a smoother passage along part of the route after improvements to a badly eroded section.

North Yorkshire County Council has completed work on the footpath near Richmond and says it is planning to carry out further improvements on the Coast to Coast route in the Vale of Mowbray. More than 10,000 walkers use the paths each year.

The section through Iron Banks Wood, alongside the River Swale south-east of Richmond had suffered after high levels of use during wet summer, resulting in boggy conditions underfoot. Two steep sections had become very slippery and stepping stones and stiles were in poor condition.

County Councillor Clare Wood, executive member for countryside services, said: “This is an incredibly popular long-distance path, and apart from the enjoyment it provides to walkers it also funnels a considerable amount into North Yorkshire’s tourism economy.

“The work carried out by our countryside rangers will ensure that the path is safe and easier to use for all those who like to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. The work also makes the path more accessible for less agile walkers and ramblers.”

The countryside service is currently surveying the section of the Coast to Coast route east of the A1 with a view to carrying out further work where necessary.

The 309km (192-mile) route, devised by Alfred Wainwright in 1973, runs from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire.