Pennine Bridleway goes all the way

The official opening of the Pennine Bridleway has taken place. Natural England marked the official opening in a ceremony at the award winning Far Moor Bridge in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Martin Clunes, actor and President of The British Horse Society (BHS), cut the ribbon to declare all 330km of the National Trail open. Also there to celebrate the Trail were Lancashire, North Yorkshire and Cumbria County Councils and the event hosts, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

 It is the only National Trail specifically designed for horse-riders, but also offers a fabulous route for mountain-bikers and walkers. The bridleway – England’s third longest National Trail - starts at Middleton Top, in Derbyshire, winding its way through the Peak District to the steep-sided valleys of the south Pennines. From there it heads north to the scenic limestone of the Yorkshire Dales National Park before skirting the western edge of the majestic North Pennines to finish at Street, near Ravenstone in Cumbria. It has been achieved in partnership with nine local authorities and mainly funded by Natural England and an award of £1.8 million from Sport England.

To create this flagship route for riders, cyclists and walkers:

• 140 agreements with land owners have created new bridleways on land with no previous access or upgraded footpaths to bridleways.
• 105km of brand new bridleway has been created.
• around £10 million has been spent in creating the 330 km trail to acquire new bridleway rights and construct a sustainable high quality trail suitable for all users.

 209km of the route is already open and the remaining 121 km are now complete. The route attracts visitors from all over the country and many new businesses have opened and existing businesses expanded to cater for these visitors. The latest section will extend the route attracting more visitors and creating opportunities to support the local economy.

 (Published by Natural England: 12 June 2012)