Club donates to Swaledale boardwalk

​​​​​​​Members of Harrogate Rambling Club have helped pay for repairs to a flood-damaged riverside walk near Gunnerside in Swaledale.

They donated £2,500 to the National Park Authority, so that rangers and volunteers could extend a boardwalk beside the River Swale.

The 300-member club brings groups into the National Park and surrounding areas with its regular walks on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The president of the club, Greg Richardson, and the secretary, John Hopkins, came out to inspect the finished job in September (see photo).

Greg Richardson said: “We so enjoy walking in the Yorkshire Dales, and supporting the ways that we walk is really what we want to help with, particularly when funding for such improvements seems to be at a premium.

“This is a very nice piece of work and great value.  I never thought we’d see this amount of work for the money that we’ve given.”

John Hopkins added: “Our club has been around since 1936.  Back in the day people used to come up on bikes and cycle home in the dark, so it’s been a well-supported club for many years.  The walks used to be predominantly at the weekend but as people’s lifestyles have changed there has been demand for walks in the week.  On a Wednesday it’s mostly retired folk and we encourage younger people to come out on our Sunday walks.

“We keep coming because there’s constant variety in the Yorkshire Dales: different views in different seasons, the geology, wildlife, history – and the pubs! Walking in a group is quite different from walking on your own or in couples.  It’s about socialising and at the end of the walk we end up in a pub or a tea room.”

A view of the new boardwalk by the Swale near Gunnerside

Member Champion for Recreation Management at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Lizzie Bushby, said: “As a fast flowing upland river, the River Swale provides wetland which stores carbon, reduces downstream flooding, filters water and is an important wildlife habitat. The dynamic river processes are however a maintenance challenge for our ranger team, as footpaths are eroded and can be regularly washed away.

“The attraction of riverside routes is that they are level and relatively sheltered.  The path along the river near Gunnerside is quite narrow and a stone aggregate surface could be swept away in a flood, so the boardwalk should work well and be a long lasting solution.  Our sincere thanks go to Harrogate Rambling Club for making the work possible.” 

Harrogate Rambling Club organise around 400 walks each year in Yorkshire.   They grade their walks from A to D, with “A-walks” being up to 14 miles and steep and “D-walks” being a nice amble for up to seven miles.   The club says new members are always welcome.