Footbridge replaced, as path maintenance figures set out

Rangers and volunteers have rebuilt a footbridge over Cotterdale Beck, a tributary of the River Ure, to make a field path to Cotterdale town accessible once again

It is one of the most recent projects in a rights of way maintenance programme which saw 34 river crossings and two sets of stepping stones replaced in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the past year.

In addition to river crossings, the ranger service made a total of 794 improvements to rights of way infrastructure, including, for instance, to 79 stone squeeze stiles, 123 roadside signposts and 21 kissing gates in the year to the end of April.  Nearly two miles of engineered paths were constructed or repaired.

The figures are contained in the Public Rights of Way Delegated Highway Authority annual report for 2024/2025, to be debated at next week’s quarterly meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (see agenda item 16). 

The need to replace the footbridge in Cotterdale was flagged up during what the National Park Authority calls the “parish path survey”, an annual survey during which volunteers assess the condition of the 2,637km of public rights of way and associated path infrastructure in the National Park area.

The bridge was made by an access ranger, assisted by two volunteers, in a day.  It was lifted into position by a contractor and fixed down, with two stone steps added either side.

Member Champion for Recreation Management at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Lizzie Bushby, said:  “I’m really looking forward to receiving the annual report on rights of way maintenance at our June meeting, as it provides an opportunity to demonstrate the scale and value of the work being carried out, from the bread and butter jobs such as the Cotterdale footbridge replacement to large projects such as helping to get the Coast to Coast footpath up to National Trail standard. 

“Providing access to the National Park is our core purpose, so the rights of way maintenance programme is a high priority programme for us. The two largest councils in the National Park, Westmorland and Furness and North Yorkshire, with whom we have delegation agreements to carry out works on public rights of way on their behalf, are both now making important financial contributions to the programme, and these are very much appreciated. Recent discussions with them have highlighted the fact that we undertake maintenance of public rights of way infrastructure, such as gates and stiles, at no cost to local farmers or landowners, unlike outside the National Park.”      

She added:  “The importance of a well-maintained public rights of way network in the Yorkshire Dales National Park cannot be understated, as it gives people access to nature, is vital for health and wellbeing and underpins much of our local visitor economy.”