It is with great sadness that we heard the news of the death of our friend and former long-term Footpaths Officer Alex McManus, who died at the end of March aged 92.
Alex first joined the DWA committee in 2003 and became Footpaths Officer in 2005. He also served as Newsletter Editor from 2010 to 2014 and turned his hand to a number of other roles, including Minutes Secretary for a while.
He helped steer the Association through two major crises – in 2008 and 2012, when the DWA faced closure. As Footpaths Officer he was particularly busy following the disastrous floods in the winter of 2015, when several bridges and sections of the path were swept away. Alex worked tirelessly to help walkers find their way around detours, in some cases engaging in a spot of guerrilla waymarking.
Over the years, through his dedication, hard work and persistence, he built up the respect and admiration of many of the local authority Rangers who look after the trail.
Alex retired from active duty in 2018, and was unanimously awarded a “Honorary Life Membership” certificate at the AGM in October.
The presentation was made by the chairman of the Dales Way Association, Colin Speakman, at a special lunch attended by most of the DWA committee near Harrogate in November 2018.
Colin said: “Alex is one of the heroes of the Dales Way. For so many years he has been our tireless Footpath Secretary, doing great work working with all the local authorities along the Dales Way to ensure that stiles, gates and bridges were in good order, waymarks were in the right place and problems sorted as soon as possible, not to mention his work as a great ambassador for the route, in person and on his DVDs. In making him only our second Honorary Life Member in our history (the first was the legendary cartographer Arthur Gemmell) the Dales Way Committee is merely recognising his outstanding achievement over so many years”.
On April 1st 1974, at the stroke of a pen, the ancient county of Westmorland disappeared, along with the adjoining county of Cumberland. They were replaced by Cumbria.
New Westmoland and Cumberalnd boundaries.
The old county town of Appleby, in a defiant move, renamed itself Appleby-in-Westmorland.
Now, almost 50 years later, Westmorland is back.
As of 1 April 2023, Cumbria County Council was abolished. As were the councils of Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle City, Copeland, Eden District, and South Lakeland District.
Cumberland Council has since taken over the area previously covered by the Allerdale, Carlisle City, and Copeland authorities.
Meanwhile, Westmorland and Furness Council is in charge of the area formerly covered by Barrow-in-Furness, Eden District, and South Lakeland District authorities.
The boundaries are not exactly the same – around a quarter of historic Cumberland around the town of Penrith is in the new Westmorland and Furness council.
Cumbria will remain as a “ceremonial” county and the name will remain in the names of various organisations such as the police force.
Lord Eric Pickles, who championed traditional counties during his time as communities secretary, said: “This is great news. People live in Cumberland and Westmorland – they don’t live in Cumbria. Cumbria was a creation of the madness of the 1970s when politicians and bureaucrats decided people live in different places.”
The Dales Way passes through Westmorland in it’s final stages, taking in Sedbergh and Windermere.
Buckden Music Sessions at the Buck Inn, 1pm – 4pm Sunday October 9th, November 13th, December 11th and second Suns in Jan, Feb, March.
Dales Tunes and Songs, traditional and more modern, with singers and players from Wharfedale, Dentdale, Wensleydale , Nidderdale and beyond. Free admission – collection for DalesBus and the Wharfedale Venturer Bus service.
To tie in with DalesBus 874 from Leeds Bus Station d. 0915, Otley 0950 Ilkley 1010, Grassington 1105 direct to Buckden. Same times for the November 22 Dancing event (below). Return bus leaves Buck Inn at 1625, Kettlewell Bluebell at 1635. Connection from Skipton Bus Station DalesBus 72 d. 1030 change at Grassington. Senior Bus passes valid or book a Dales Rover ticket (£10) or Day return. No need to drink and drive!
On most days there will be a short walk from Starbotton (a.1129) along the Dales Way to arrive in Buckden in good time for the music. Lunch available at the Buck.
The saddest news for the Dales Way Association was to hear of the passing, at the end of February, of our President, Frank Sanderson, at the age of 94.
Frank Sanderson (left) with the Duke of Devonshire at the Dales Way 40th anniversary celebrations, 2009.
Frank was a remarkable personality. Born in Rochdale, Lancashire, he kept his lovely soft Lancashire accent throughout his long and active life but was equally passionate about Yorkshire and Cumbria. He was of an age to have briefly served in the RAF in the Second World War in that most dangerous of occupations, a bomb disposal unit. After demobilisation he trained as a motor mechanic soon opening his own business in Accrington, but found free time to pursue his passions for both flying, gaining a pilot’s licence and even flying his own plane – and sailing, becoming a skilled mariner. In the 1970s he switched careers to open a hotel in Scotland, which soon included caravan and chalet parks, and a coffee shop nearby. He was also a keen artist eventually opening his own small gallery in the Lake District to where he had moved to in the mid 1980s, having bought Blenheim Lodge, a boutique hotel in Bowness – directly on the Dales Way.
When Frank began to notice increased numbers of walkers walking past his hotel entrance with loaded rucksacks, or even staying at the Lodge, he soon learned about the Dales Way. In response to repeated requests, he produced a simple printed “Certificates of Achievement” for anyone who had walked the route. Members of the Ramblers who had first conceived and developed the Dales Way heard about this and as a result, in April 1990 several of us were invited to Blenheim Lodge to join Frank for a meal and discussion about the future of the Dales Way. From this meeting came the idea of a Dales Way Association which was established on 3rd February 1991 also at Blenheim Lodge, with Frank Sanderson as its first Secretary. Uniquely among UK long distance walk support groups, there was at least initially equally balance in membership between walkers and accommodation providers, for mutual support and benefit. Frank used his influence both as a member of Windermere Town Council and within SLOT (South Lakeland Organisation for Tourism) to build support for the Dales Way within Cumbria, including contacts with the Lake District National Park. He had the brilliant idea of persuading the Park to allow the conversion of a section of derelict wall and old gate post (thereby not requiring planning permission) into the first Dales Way Seat, designed by Frank and dedicated “for those who walk the Dales Way”. The site, overlooking the lake at Windermere, has become an iconic place where many thousands of people rest to celebrate their (almost) completion of the Dales Way. He even organised painting and colouring competitions for local children to promote the route in Cumbria.
Frank Sanderson (right) at the inauguration of the Dales Way Seat at Bowness, April 1990.
Throughout his long involvement with the Dales Way Association, as first our Secretary and later our President, Frank’s energy and bubbling enthusiasm have done much to establish the popularity of the route. He even had a theory that the Dales Way long predated modern walkers but was an Iron Age trade route linking the Celtic Kingdom of Elmet (including what is now the site of Leeds) with Cumbria, which is why he designed Celtic stone heads, carved not only on the Bowness seat, but also at Ilkley Bridge.
Even though, in his tenth decade and with reduced mobility, he found it hard to drive to committee meetings and even AGMs, he kept in close touch with the Committee, always ready with advice and common sense, a true father-figure for the Association. He played a key role in our 40th celebrations in 2009 and we shall all remember his witty and impromptu speech at our 50th anniversary luncheon a decade later in Appletreewick (at the fine age of 91), and his book of memories. We shall miss his experience, his humour and enthusiasm for everything to do with the Dales Way. But it will be perhaps those two iconic stone seats at each end of the Dales Way that are truly Frank Sanderson’s lasting and living memorial for our own and for generations to come.
New stepway on the riverside at Low Park, Addingham.
Some newly engineered steps mark a major improvement to the footpath between Addingham and Farfield.
The stepway has replaced a difficult, steep sloping section of the path leading down to the rivers edge. Thanks go to rangers at the Bradford Countryside Service for the work.
The tricky section has been the subject of a number of comments from Dales Way walkers, which have been passed on the the council by the Dales Way Association Footpath Officer for the area – Gordon Tasker.
Gordon said “Walkers and local users inform us when they identify issues on any stretch of the path. Please continue to do so through the website email contact address. We can then work with the appropriate stakeholder to progress. It may not always be possible to complete immediately where land owners and boundaries and responsibilities are involved, but jobs are completed as this one shows.”
Colin Speakman won the Golden Eagle award for Outstanding Services to the Outdoors at the meeting of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild this weekend.
Colin is a prolific writer, environmentalist, academic and broadcaster. He was presented with a specially commissioned painting of Pen-y-ghent by the artist and environmentalist, David Bellamy.
A co-creator of the Dales Way, now 50 years old and one of the most popular long distance paths in the country, Colin has written nearly 60 books, covering walking and history, transport guides, biographies, poems and fiction. He has recently been described as one of 20 of Britain’s all-time “Walking Heroes”.
His recent publication was a biography of John Phillips, the influential 19th-century Yorkshire scientist who completed the first detailed geological surveys of the Yorkshire Coast and the Yorkshire Dales and who helped establish the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Colin Speakman (left) joins the group at the start in Ilkley, Monday May 17.
Ramblers throughout Yorkshire are delighted to be welcomed back to the Yorkshire Dales, especially now that inns and guest houses can welcome walkers along the 81-mile Dales Way.
The Dales Way footpath, linking Ilkley in Wharfedale with Bowness on Lake Windermere, has long been one of Britain’s favourite walks, attracting many repeat visits and also visitors from overseas. Sadly, the pandemic had virtually closed much of the route for staying visitors since autumn 2020, but now that hotels and guest houses are open, walkers can once again enjoy a wonderful short break along the magnificent scenery of the Dales Way.
The first group to do so was a group of ten people from the Leeds-Bradford area who set off from Ilkley on Monday May 17th the first day guest houses were open and arrived in Bowness on Saturday. Members of the group, all “empty nesters”, people of a certain age whose teenage children had left home allowing their parents new freedom, had planned the walk and booked their accommodation months ahead.
Tim Barber, from Burley-in-Wharfedale, leader of the group commented: “Everything was great and the welcome from all the accommodation providers was wonderful – they were so happy to be back doing what they do best, providing a great warm welcome”.
Colin Speakman, Chairman of the Dales Way Association added “We are so pleased that walkers are coming back as staying visitors to the Dales. Spending up to £100 per day on food and accommodation, Dales Way walkers will provide a significant boost to the Dales economy, helping struggling catering and other rural businesses to survive after what has been a dreadful 16 months of pandemic.”
However, he also warned would-be walkers to book accommodation in advance, especially evening meals, as demand in this summer of staycations is likely to be high, and there could be some pubs and cafes that don’t reopen because of the impact of the long lockdowns.
Another short diversion is in place near Sedbergh as further work is needed to make safe a path eroded by river flooding.
The short section of footpath is to be found beyond where the Dales Way crosses the road bridge from Millthrop across the River Rawthey, then turns left across a field and through a section of woodland (SD 6585 9135). The affected section is the part where the path passes through a narrow, enclosed dip. Similar work took place here last summer.
An alternative, easy to follow section of permissive path leads off to the right just before this point, to rejoin the main footpath just before leaving the wooded area.
The work is expected to continue throughout the summer.
The Dales Way features in another top list – this time in the Financial Times’ Top 10 scenic spots for runners in Britain.
Fergus Scholes writes “What better way to enjoy a run than in breathtaking British countryside, traversing its long-distance footpaths and National Trails? We’ve rounded up the best scenic spots to put you through your paces.”
TV presenter Selina Scott walking a section of the Dales Way in Wharfedale was shown on BBC TV last night.
It’s part of a series of Winter Walks with celebrity walkers being shown on successive nights. They can be watched again on BBC iPlayer.
Selina sets off from Thorp to walk up to Linton Falls, then joins the Dales Way to walk from Grassington to Appletreewick. It was filmed in February 2020 before Covid restrictions were introduced.
Filming herself and all that is around her on a 360-degree camera, Selina wanders through the countryside, often deep in thought and stopping only to chat, recite poetry and reflect.
Along the way, she learns of extraordinary philanthropy, meets walkers and a fisherman, and ends her journey drinking local ale in a pub famed for ferret racing.
Dales Way News 