SIGNPOST Newsletter of the Peak and Northern Footpaths Society Signposts Officer, David Morton, by Sign 504. Peak District Nat’l Park Rangers & Volunteers carried and erected it on Whinstone Lee Tor, N. of Ashopton. Our grateful thanks for all they do for us. Dave and Judy Brown by the signpost that they sponsored, North of Cracken Edge Number 53 February 2017 Signpost 53 Chairman’s Piece David Hurrell, Chairman on a programme to celebrate the 120th Our Publicity Officer, Ian Salvage is working keep the Snake Path open in perpetuity for anniversarywalkers. This of will the take Society’s place first over success the weekend – to of 27th and 28th May 2017, and should be an interesting and memorable weekend. Do put the dates in your diary now, and come along on either or both of the days to join in the celebrations. Bring along your friends also. From time to time, the Trustees need to review the work of the Society in all its aspects, and decide what, if anything, needs to be changed in order to assist with its smooth running. The Trustees are currently looking at the Con- stitution to see if any minor changes may be During the short days of December and January, required to clarify the position regarding the there can be many contrasts in the weather. funding of footbridges and boardwalks, and Dank days of little wind and poor visibility, whether the Society would be able to fund gates contrasting with sparkling, sunny days of clear and stiles under the terms of the Charitable blue skies and views of distant hills. Walking is status that the Society enjoys. The Trustees not just about walking, but also about seeing will be taking professional advice before the many facets of the countryside. We can putting forward any proposed changes to the enjoy foggy days when strange shapes loom membership. in front of us, with trees seeming so very Don’t forget to book the dates of 27th & 28th of struggling through the snow when a familiar May 2017, and come along to the celebrations. differentpath has disappeared from a clear underday. Wea blanketcan enjoy of white, I look forward to meeting you and your friends and we are left to wonder which way the path on the day. goes. Now the days are lengthening and the sun is ever higher in the sky and we have Spring to look forward to. In my last Chairman’s Piece, I mentioned the illness of Mike Barnes, our Web Master, and that Mel Bale had agreed to help Mike out during his illness. Unfortunately, events moved faster than anyone had anticipated, and you would have read in the same edition of the death of Mike. I know that Mel and Mike had a few meetings be- fore he died, and that Mel was very impressed with the work that Mike had done over the past few years. Mel is now picking up the baton and will continue to build on the work that Mike had done. 2 Signpost 53 Report on our Half Yearly Meeting David Hurrell (Chairman) and Rhoda Barnett (Courts & Inquiries Officer) Around 60 members gathered at the Britannia Following lunch, during which members had Hotel in Stockport on Saturday 19th November for the opportunity to catch up with each other and the Half Yearly Meeting of the Society. socialise together, John Mottram of the Edale Members heard reports of the activities of the Mountain Rescue team gave an entertaining talk on the work undertaken by Mountain Rescue health of the Society. Teams. He described some of the more unusual SocietyRhoda Barnett from various gave a sections brief introduction and of the tofinancial a new call outs they had attended, the training they draft policy related to recording lost or forgotten receive, and reassured everyone that, if they public rights of way. These ways are ones which were ever in a situation where they required the assistance of a Mountain Rescue team, their and statement. If the rights existed before 1949, call would not go unheeded. are not currently recorded on the definitive map 2026, they will be extinguished. The Society members’ forum, during which the Chairman andintends are notto work put on with the like-minded definitive map organisations before and individuals to identify such ways, research Theasked afternoon for views session on the wasreduced rounded membership off by the evidence for the existence of the rights, and make applications to surveying authorities for the rights presentations as an incentive to join the Society. to be recorded. The policy has now been agreed subscriptionAfter some discussion, that was offered the view at emerged shows and by the Society’s Trustees and can be found on the web site at http://www.peakandnorthern.org.uk/ be continued. A show of hands indicated the about-us/constitution.htm . If you think that you thatmajority a reduced of those first present year subscription would support should a more could help with this, please do contact Rhoda at [email protected]. may be raised from the current £5. The Trustees Rhoda also mentioned that the rights of way formalisedwill follow thisreduced up with offer, a formal but that proposal the figure at the provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015 will Annual Meeting. probably not be in force before mid-2017. These and other orders are made, and it is intended that willmore have details a considerable will be given effect at the onHalf how Year diversion Meeting in November 2017, by which time, we hope that the Act has made it on to the Statute Book. 3 Signpost 53 The Peak District Boundary Walk Julie Gough Fundraising & Marketing Co-ordinator for Friends of the Peak District The current Peak District National Park boundary is almost identical to the one drawn up and proposed by the Friends of the Peak cables,New developments and most recently, – housing, fracking, road threatenbuilding, to damagequarrying, or off-roading,destroy huge overheadareas of our pylons national and park still. ItDistrict was resolved founders at – its Ethel meeting and Geraldin May 1937 that Friends of the Peak District is committed not theHaythornthwaite Peak District Campaign – nearly 80 to years Protect ago. Rural only to campaigning against unsuitable England (CPRE) branch (which later became developments which threaten the rural the Friends of the Peak District) should environment, but also to educating the public pro-actively map the areas which were suitable about the natural environment and the damage to be included in the park. being caused by uncontrolled development. After agreeing that national parks were not During their 90th anniversary year in 2015, the going to be ‘merely a national playground for ideas townspeople’ and that landscape preservation, for sharing the charity’s history, for raising access and open-air recreation and protection awarenessFriends’ five of staff its work, were andasked ideally to generate for of wildlife were all of equal importance, a group raising much needed funds to enable its work of local experts set to work. They examined to continue. maps, explored the proposed boundary on And so, the idea of the boundary walk was the ground and engaged in many discussions fundraising co-ordinator, is a keen walker and agreed. It is thought that Ethel circumnavigated wantedborn. Julie to highlightGough, the the Friends’ whole nationalmarketing park and theand whole disputes route before on horseback the boundary before was finally because many people are unaware of its full committing it to the map. extent. Then in November 1938, a group of This new, 192 mile, long distance walk which organisations, including CPRE, the Ramblers, and the Peak & Northern Footpaths Society, celebrates not only the huge diversity of our met at the Church Hotel in Edale (now the never strays far from the official park boundary Ramblers pub) to begin the campaign for the Peak District National Park. awarenessfirst national of parkthe Peak but alsoDistrict’s its historical beautiful land- The Haythornthwaite’s work to protect and scapesignificance. and encourage Hopefully, people it will to also cherish increase preserve the outstanding natural beauty of the and protect it. Peak District continues to this day. 4 Signpost 53 It is envisaged that some long distance walkers may enjoy the challenge of walking all 192 miles in one go, but the route has been divided into manageable stages which are more accessible to walkers who prefer to explore the park boundary in smaller day-long walks (of approximately 10 miles each). However you choose to walk the Friends’ Peak District Boundary Walk, the start and end points of each stage have been chosen with walkers in mind. They have at least a bus stop or car park, a toilet or a shop…at the time of going to print anyway. The route diverts sometimes to accommodate amenities at the beginning and end of stages but walkers are encouraged to enjoy the walk and the scenery in their own way and may choose to start and stop where they like. Mile for mile, the Peak District Boundary Walk and is being committed to print, the Friends Now that the whole walk has been finalised has more undulations than the Pennine Way need to tackle the task of installing but it always follows existing paths, tracks waymarking on the route on the ground. and quiet lanes. By its very nature, it doesn’t The walk and its accompanying book, edited explore the inner glories of the Peak District. by Andrew McCloy, will be launched in Buxton on Saturday 17th June 2017 when groups of the crowds and common hotspots, in quieter, lessInstead well walkers known willbut stillfind stunningthemselves corners away offrom open as they go.