High Newton Reservoirs. Photo: Michael Graham CC-BY-SA-2.0
Walkers in a national park will find the going easier after improvement work on two routes.
The Lake District National Park Authority worked with landowners in the South of the area to create one route and build a bridge and other structures on the other.
The authority’s countryside access adviser Nick Thorne said the two routes were examples of what access improvements can be achieved by working with landowners, conservation partners and walking groups.
A path giving access to High Newton Reservoirs near Grange-over-Sands will allow walkers to reach open access land to the North of the area.
The national park authority said there has been informal access for some time but a formal adoption of a path means that the public will legally be able to reach the right-to-roam land.
Mr Thorne said the project was sparked by an idea from Grange Ramblers and had been implemented working in co-operation with United Utilities.
John Daffern of Grange Ramblers added: “The opening of the new path is of high importance as it links up two open access areas, which hopefully would be part of a complete walking route along the high ground from Grange-over-Sands to Windermere.”
The second route is near Hawkshead, where the new bridleway along the old road east of the Drunken Duck has now been fully opened for use after work by the landowners and the authority’s field staff.
The old road was formally recorded as a public bridleway last year following an application by the Cumbria Bridleways Society.
Before the path, which is open to walkers, horses and cyclists, could be fully used gates needed repairing, scrub needed clearing and a beck crossing point consisting of a simple narrow steel girder had to be replaced with a slate bridge.
The landowner, Philip Saunders, from Sunny Brow Farm said: “We support this change to open up this beautiful countryside to more and varied users. We are very happy with the finished bridleway alterations. The bridge in particular is a welcome addition.”
