Members of the Green Barrows at work on the path. Photo: Ron Blenkinsop/RAF/Crown copyright
The RAF’s display team the Red Arrows are famed across the globe for their aerobatic prowess.
But it was the less renowned Green Barrows who came to the aid of a national park where trainee pilots are usually seen flying low over the hills.
The 10 civilians and Ministry of Defence personnel from a North Yorkshire airbase helped repair a path in the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park.
The footpath volunteers spent the day working with national park staff on a popular section of the path near Aysgill Force on Gayle Beck near Hawes.
The helpers, who usually spend their working day maintaining the fleet of Tucano training aircraft seen regularly flying over the Dales, were taking part in an RAF development scheme.
They built new timber revetments to hold the path together and then used green wheelbarrows to transport 16 tons of stone to the site before compacting it to create a new surface to the path.
Sergeant John Purcell, who organised the visit, said: “The national park is a great training area for RAF pilots, so it’s good for us to be able to come and give something back.
“A lot of personnel from the base regularly walk in the Yorkshire Dales during their time off, so it’s been easy to get volunteers to come and help out the ranger service.”
Matt Neale, the authority’s area ranger for Upper Wensleydale, said: “This path has been deteriorating over the last few winters because the river erodes the surface when it floods.
“It had reached the point where it was getting difficult to use the footpath. The help from the RAF has been terrific. They did a sterling job.
“It is on a popular circular walk to Aysgill waterfall from the busy market town of Hawes so the new path will certainly get plenty of walking boots over it.”
Malcolm Petyt, the authority’s member champion for recreation management, added: “I have struggled over this path several times in recent years, and I am delighted that our RAF friends have done such a thorough job on it. It should now be easier for everyone.”
