THURSDAY: A bumper news special!
By
LFTO News Team
07 August 2008 10:16
It’s all going on in the world of walking...
The Wainwright Hotel!
A Lake District hotel has placed copies of Alfred Wainwright’s classic guidebooks in each of its bedrooms and lined its walls with his drawings.
As part of a £300,000 refurb, the Keswick Lodge Hotel – which oddly enough is in Keswick – has dedicated itself to ‘the man who loved the Lakes’.
The bedrooms now feature reproductions of some of his classic illustrated routes and a copy of one of his seven Pictorial Guides. The Gideon Bible for walkers, you might say.
Richard Ball, of brewers Daniel Thwaites (which owns the pub) told LFTO: “Alfred Wainwright was a legend in these parts and each year we see hundreds of people flock to the Lake District to complete one of his walks.
“As the Keswick Lodge is an extremely popular venue with walkers, it seemed only fitting that we celebrated its refurbishment with Wainwright; he is after all the reason many people travel to this area.
“The book will undoubtedly help our guests to make the most of their stay and explore the locality to the full.”
The pub also serves Thwaites’ Wainwright Ale, and offers a Wainwright-themed quiz night.
It’s probably all a bit Disney for Wainwright’s taste, but given that he’s on the back of buses now, we probably have to accept that the old curmudgeon is now truly a global brand....
Click here for more.
Britain’s newest long-distance path!
Raise a glass, if you please, to Dr Jimmy Begg, who has put together his very own long-distance path on a shoestring budget.
Dr Jimmy has created the Ayrshire Coastal Path, stretching from Glenapp to Skelmorlie and showcasing a seaside landscape that inspired the likes of Robert ‘Beastie’ Burns, William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace and Robert ‘the’ Bruce.
At 100 miles, it’s longer than the West Highland Way, but while the WHW cost about £5 million to put together, Dr Jimmy whipped up the ACP for a mere £70,000, raised through donations and sponsorship.The trail starts in Glen App, north of Stranraer, and follows the coast past Ballantrae, Ayr and Troon to reach Skelmorlie.
The five-year project was driven by Dr Jimmy and an army of volunteers. The original idea was to create a short trail to help people improve their health – but it sort of spiralled.
Backed by volunteers from the Rotary Club of Ayr and Ayrshire councils, the team spent four years obtaining consent from farmers and landowners, getting cash together, clearing paths and installing gates.
Top work, Dr Jimmy – we can’t wait to try it out!
Find out more at www.ayrshirecoastalpath.org
Hail to K2’s Fallen
LFTO salutes the 11 climbers thought to have died on K2 earlier this week – the deadliest day in the history of this already fearsome mountain. Click here for more on the story.
Brum’s paths are on the map!
The footpaths of Birmingham now exist – officially!
For 20 years, the Ramblers have been campaigning to get the city’s network of rights of way protected and preserved in law, and the city council has finally gone and sorted it out.
Currently, Brum is without a 'definitive map' - the legal record of public rights of way – meaning homes or new roads can be stuck on top of them with ease.
And while no-one doubts the need for housing in our cities, the Ramblers argue that rights of way – whether they’re in the middle of nowhere or right through the Bullring – need to be protected.
The council's decision means about 145 paths around the city will be recorded on the definitive map, enshrining them in law.
The mapping process is expected to take many years, but kicks off this month when paperwork for a path in Perry Barr is completed. The council has guaranteed £110,000 per year to make it happen.
Bob Hunt, of Birmingham Ramblers, told us: “The council deserves the warmest congratulations.
“The map will help protect the historical paths used by our ancestors, and ensure that we have legally defined, traffic-free rights of way at a time when we are all being encouraged to walk more.”
And Finally...
The Yorkshire Dales is about to become home to the UK’s first-ever Red Squirrel Trail.
Red squirrels are UK native, but have been forced to the brink of extinction by those pesky American greys.
The blissful acres of the Dales are one of the few places where the reds are being actively preserved, and now the national park authority is creating a trail to help walkers spot the little darlings in their natural habitat.
The trail route is being created near Snaizeholme and is likely to be ready in October. Watch this space for more...
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