Dark Peak Access restrictions

[GeoffB]

And what do you peaklanders think of proposals recently aired in the national press aimed at limiting access to "Open" areas (such as Kinder Scout, Bleaklow etc) to existing footpaths?

Is this attitude, alongside the sneaky regulations introduced with CROW, not going to create a situation where it will be possible for the National Trust to retrofit old ideas and restrictions ... which our forebears struggled to remove.

Take a look at

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ation.wildlife

which includes the sentence

"Meanwhile, the walkers will still be welcome - provided they stick to the special stone pathways that are to be built."

I spoke to our local NT Warden the other day whilst helping with the cotton grass planting on Kinder, and he said he had no idea where the press had got that quote from (regarding sticking to the stone pathways). As far as he was concerned Kinder was going to be open access as normal.

[Yorkshire Thug]

Although there are isolated examples of places where walkers have caused an erosion scar, when you look at the whole of the Dark Peak moorland, it doesn't account for the scale of desolation you see. Most authorities now agree that sheep grazing is the prime cause, allowing water to do its work afterwards.

In retrospect, routing the PW across these hills was a mistake - because the route became more popular than originally anticipated. They have re-routed the Kinder section, which is good, but elsewhere they are relying on walkways to address the problem.

I think the success of seeding on Black Hill and Bleaklow speaks for itself, and I am pleased that it is being used on Kinder.

However, I am not happy with restricting runners and walkers to walkways as a general principal, because I think that this will remove an essential ingredient from the peak experience.

The only sustainable long term solution lies in reducing the easy access to the peak by car. The journey to the peak needs to be more than the easy drive it is now. We need to go back to the days when folk had to cycle, bus and train to get there, when a trip to the peak was a weekend's holiday - not just something to do in the evening instead of watching telly.

If getting there and experiencing the peak was just that little bit harder (as it used to be) we would all appreciate it more, and it would last longer too.

[jodg]

Just as aside to this, will the restrictions have any effect on the upcoming DP Summer Series race 3 ("Barber's") as this takes place around Bradfield?

[IanDarkpeak]

Just as aside to this, will the restrictions have any effect on the upcoming DP Summer Series race 3 ("Barber's") as this takes place around Bradfield?

No the route should be free from any restrictions.

[jodg]

Ta Ian, will you be there on the night?

[Stolly]

However, I am not happy with restricting runners and walkers to walkways as a general principal, because I think that this will remove an essential ingredient from the peak experience.

The only sustainable long term solution lies in reducing the easy access to the peak by car. The journey to the peak needs to be more than the easy drive it is now. We need to go back to the days when folk had to cycle, bus and train to get there, when a trip to the peak was a weekend's holiday - not just something to do in the evening instead of watching telly.

If getting there and experiencing the peak was just that little bit harder (as it used to be) we would all appreciate it more, and it would last longer too.

That argument though (which I'm guessing is made slighty tongue in cheek) totally ignores tourism and the fact that the Peak District very much wants walkers and runners, just like the lakes and the dales. Laying stone flags over badly eroded boggy paths does work in any event, given that walkers will be inclined to follow the paving by and large if its there. Runners maybe won't be so keen but we're very much a minority of the total 'traffic' going through.

[IanDarkpeak]

Ta Ian, will you be there on the night?

I should be there. a couple of steep climbs in this race.

[daz h]

Yup. Let's hear it for your local Grouse.

yes

lets here it for the grouse awww lets give the grouse a haaaaaand

lets here for the birdies people gotta undersaaaand

the grouse is a real lovely bird , its a fluffy cuddly bird

whow whow whow whow

lets here it for the grouse


thats was a well known song

[Grouse]

:d :d :d

[Werdna Swilnik]

Although there are isolated examples of places where walkers have caused an erosion scar, when you look at the whole of the Dark Peak moorland, it doesn't account for the scale of desolation you see. Most authorities now agree that sheep grazing is the prime cause, allowing water to do its work afterwards.

Another major culprit for the desolation of Dark Peak moorland is acid rain, from over 100 years of industrial pollution. This has been responsible for killing many of the plants that bind and hold the soil in place.