An artist's impression of how the bridge will look. Image: Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
A vital link in a new national trail will be put into place in the next few months.
Work has started on constructing a new path and timber bridge in the Yorkshire Dales national park as part of the Pennine Bridleway.
The 2½km (1½-mile) section will run from the hamlet of Selside, north of Horton in Ribblesdale, to Cam High Road, an old Roman route that originally ran from Settle to Bainbridge.
The new bridleway will cross a new wooden bridge over the River Ribble near Dale Mire Barn. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Pennine Bridleway project officer Peter Lambert said: “The bridleway bridge will use an innovative design, developed by Peebles-based Forestry Civil Engineering that involves short lengths of timber to create a bridge with three arches spanning nearly 50m.
“There’s a lot of work involved and we had to get the agreement of the landowners, obtain planning permission and Environment Agency consent and carry out extensive, detailed ecological and archaeological surveys before we could start.”
The work on the river site should be complete by the end of September and the route is due to open at the end of this year.
Mr Lambert added: “This is one of the last sections of the Pennine Bridleway to be built in the national park, with funding secured from Natural England earlier this year for the work.”
The Pennine Bridleway is currently being developed for horse riders, mountain bikers and walkers. When complete it will be about 320km (200 miles) long, running from Derbyshire to Cumbria. About 210km (130 miles) are already open from Derbyshire to near Burnley in Lancashire.
Of the 15 national trails in England and Wales, the bridleway is the first to have been planned with horse riders and mountain bikers in mind.
Malcolm Petyt, the YDNPA’s member champion for recreational management, said: “This route will be a tremendous recreational resource. Over the next year, new sections of the Pennine Bridleway will be opening in the north of the national park, providing a continuous route through from the A65 at Long Preston to Ravenstonedale near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria.”
Anna Righton, Natural England Pennine Bridleway project manager, said: “Natural England is delighted that this section will be completed this summer after so many years of hard work and planning. Already, 130 miles [209km] of the Pennine Bridleway are open and used by horse riders, mountain bikers and walkers to enjoy the wonderful countryside along its length. Completion of this brand new section of bridleway will open up more opportunities for locals and visitors to this area.”
