West Riding Riding

No.140 Oct 2014 WHOOPS…...! YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL Walking is a “risk- PARK: 60 GREAT YEARS BUT AN taking activity” UNCERTAIN FUTURE WESTWEST RIDING RIDING RAMBLERJournal of the West Riding Area of the Ramblers’ Association - Edited by Keith Wadd and Dave Pannell Inside this issue: FESTIVAL OF WALKS TO Area Vice-President, Colin Speakman, warns us not to take the most iconic parts of Swaledale, Wensleydale and upper Wharfedale BE WALKLEEDS National Park for granted restored, whilst the Hay Time project has recreated some of the finest The week-long Festival is in early flower-rich meadows in England. As walkers we have also benefitted November 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the Designation summer and what better time of the from a right of way management regime which is second to none – year for a festival of walks! Order for the Yorkshire Dales National Park, that spectacular area of with waymarking a high priority. Not only was the Settle-Carlisle line countryside which all of us as members of West Riding Area of the saved (and the RA had a major role in this) but thanks to the Yorkshire IT’S AGM TIME! Ramblers must surely regard as our own National Park, lying as it does Dales Society subsidiary, Dales and Bowland CIC, we have perhaps so close to where most of us live and work, so easily accessible. the finest Sunday network of integrated bus and train services in any Details for all group AGMs inside this issue. Use them to have your say, ask National Parks didn’t happen by chance, handed to us for our pleasure protected landscape in the UK, with services designed by walkers for and enjoyment by benign governments and landowners. National walkers, but also there for local people. questions and put forward your ideas. Parks were fought for by men and women with passion and foresight, But what of the future? The are now massive cutbacks to the many most of them keen walkers. They in turn were inspired by the great YORKSHIRE DALES AT 60 Walking is a “risk-taking activity”, it is sometimes said when accidents Lack of concentration is also a crucial factor. Just as with the ice, if we facilities which have long been accepted as fundamental to a civilised poets, scientists, novelists, essayists and painters, influencing later The 60th anniversary of the Yorkshire happen. Like most things, it might be added - including life itself. knew the trap was there, we would know how to deal with it, but we quality of life in Britain - libraries, theatres, parks, rural transport, youth guidebook writers such as A.J.Brown and Wainwright, who taught us Dales National Park comes with an However, in most activities we can attempt to reduce the risk with wholly don’t notice until it’s too late. Tiredness may be involved, and it would centres, old poeples care and social facilities are now deemed, in one to see and value our finest countryside for the spiritual enrichment it Benedict Southworth (middle) takes a well earned rest after the walk. uncertain future. beneficial consequences, and without going to the extreme of wrapping be interesting to know whether more accidents occur in the latter part of the weathiest countries in the world, to be no longer affordable. Left to Right - Bernard Ellis, Derrick Watt, Benedict Southworth, Elizabeth Snow and Martin Bennett gives us, as well as the mental and physical health benefits of walking in ourselves in cotton-wool. Sticking my neck out (which I have recently of a walk than earlier on. Another possible factor may be conversation National Parks are now also being targeted. With around 40% cuts to the hills. But it was generations of campaigners such as Octavia Hill, painfully cricked through what I previously thought was an activity wholly which despite its many virtues can distract us from the major exercise its budget, the Yorkshire Dales National Park is struggling to maintain George and Charles Trevelyan, T.A. Leonard, John Dower, without risk, namely sleep), I would modestly suggest that by far the of remaining vertical. its services. But there are further cuts in the pipeline that could Tom Stephenson, and our own Arthur Raistrick who 2014 AREA FOOTPATH biggest risk of a bad accident in walking is not through frisky cattle, or have a devastating impact. It is worth pointing out that before boots and shoes were invented, the created the political pressure for legislation, arguing With around Ramblers’ Chief Exec Visits vicious dogs, but through falling. SURVEY human race contrived to remain vertical most of the time by effective use passionately in committees and in the press, for the 40% cuts to In fact National Parks cost relatively little to run – less than There is always a strong element of just bad luck in a fall, but despite this of the toes and the balls of the feet. These are still part of our biological need to protect the landscape and wildlife habitats its budget, the £1 per head per person would pay for all our National West Riding Area there are ways of reducing the risk. I am not making these comments equipment, and still useful for keeping the balance. And through use from ruthless developers, and to affirm and protect Yorkshire Dales Parks. But let us make no mistake. Cutting funding for Benedict Southworth, Ramblers CEO, visited area, including this year’s publication of “Our in a pious, it’s never happened to me sort of way, because it has. of the same, walkers contrived to remain upright most of the time rights of access. The great 1949 National Parks and National Park National Parks is a political issue. National Parks are now Fortunately, although I’ve gone backside over bosom (and prior to the evolution of elaborate treads on the soles of boots. Access to the Countryside Act was a culmination of targeted by politicians who have an agenda to undermine West Riding Area on Monday 7th July. In the Approach to Volunteering” based on the work is struggling of the Ramblers Volunteer Sounding Board. vice versa?) on innumerable occasions, I have so far The real Arguably, toes are still more important than treads. It’s also this work. It gave us not only National Parks and and weaken planning and environmental legislation, and evening he came to Leeds, and addressing a well escaped with no more than a few bruises and hurt pride, time to appraise the use of sticks. There’s little doubt National Nature Reserves, but the Definitive Map of to maintain its to cut funding levels, which will roll back the clock half a attended Area Council meeting with several Benedict also commented that we when I might easily have suffered the broken limbs, traps are the that they are valuable in taking the strain off ageing Footpaths and Bridleways which is a priceless asset. services. century to a time when the National Park, underfunded and Group representatives present, talked now “know a lot about ourselves” It led ultimately to the equally significant CROW Act 2000 understaffed, was little more than an ineffective line on the map. in a frank and entirely committed Benedict particularly with respect to the torn muscles and long periods of recovery painfully unexpected ones knees, and they often give valuable support on difficult If you haven’t yet done your footpath experienced by many walking friends. terrain. The downside is over-reliance on them, and which means that over 60% of the open countryside in the way about his own role within the nature of our membership. 2015 is election year. If we want to keep our National Parks, and doesn’t have survey, there’s still time to do it. where we fail to make sometimes the stick can slip and the walker as well Yorkshire Dales is now legally accessible on foot. Ramblers, the issues it faces, and So, what can be done? Well, basically, I suggest, indeed our great access and footpath heritage, we need to ensure that the successes it is achieving. “grandiose Benedict referred to some Please send the information you have an adequate appraisal (both rather quickly). So walking with a stick or sticks obtained from the survey to Keith apart from the luck element, nearly all accidents are But how successful has the Yorkshire Dales National Park been since politicians, hungry for our votes, understand that we do not want to see ideas”, instead of the recent achievements. may be helpful, but it’s no substitute for controlling the Wadd at [email protected] by caused by a combination of a failure to appraise the of the potential 1954? In the early days, the National Park was little more than a Britain transformed into a low-tax state suffering weak planning laws It was very much a “state of The Ramblers is representing balance with our biological equipment. he is focussing mid-November at the latest. For those risks immediately in front (i.e. the next few footsteps) theoretical line on a map, divided into two totally separate halves – the and poor public services, where the rich and the powerful transfer their the nation” talk (i.e. Ramblers’ walkers at the highest level, dangers surveyors who are no longer doing the and a lack of concentration. For example, most people I would like to add something on how to fall, but I don’t old West Riding and the old North Riding Parks. Not until 1974 was vast wealth to off-shore tax havens with impunity, whilst public services “nation”) and was listened to on “getting the and we were one of a “round survey, your squares have not been slip on ice not because they don’t know how to walk on know enough.

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