Hebden Bridge News

Pennine Way Improvements To Encourage Walkers

A large section of the pathway on Pennine Way has been repaired to improve walking conditions in time for summer. Calderdale Council’s Rights of Way team have been working in partnership with Natural England to improve a 500m length of path on the Pennine Way.

The Pennine Way footpath runs up the hill from London Road, at Swillington Farm to Stoodley Pike and has come into a state of disrepair in recent years.

Local contractor, Mitchell Excavations, have done excellent work, carrying out extensive drainage works on the footpath and resurfacing it in local stone.

This important link in Calderdale’ s rights of way network has come just in time for summer when there will be an increase in walkers. It has improved access for the many people who enjoy walking up to Stoodley Pike, as well as the more seasoned walkers who tackle the longer stretch of Pennine Way.

The work has taken four weeks and cost in the region of £23,000, funded in partnership between Calderdale Council and Natural England.

Calderdale Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy and the Environment, Councillor Amanda Byrne, says:

“Calderdale has a network of over two thousand paths and has the densest rights of way network in a single kilometre square of anywhere in England.

“These improvements are necessary to keep the pathways in good condition for the many users.

“We encourage more people to get outdoors into the excellent green areas we have here in Calderdale.”

Public rights of way include footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and byways open to all traffic and they are all managed by the Council’s Rights of Way Team which is based at Northgate House.

They maintain the pathways and signposts, records of rights of way, and carry out enforcement action if they are blocked.