DALES Way walkers no longer have to walk along a busy section of road at Draughton, thanks to a team effort between volunteers and the landowner.

A collaboration between the Chatsworth Estate at Bolton Abbey, volunteers from Burley Walkers are Welcome and the Dales Way Association has seen the completion of a new section of permissive footpath taking walkers away from the busy and dangerous traffic on the B6160 near Bolton Bridge.

Colin Speakman, Chairman of the Dales Way Association and one of the creators of the Dales Way said it was a very welcome addition to the long distance path.

He said: “We have being trying for many years to get walkers off this stretch of very busy road. but thanks to the generosity of the Bolton Abbey Estate, and the brilliant footpath construction work by volunteers from Burley Walkers are Welcome and Lower Wharfedale Ramblers, we now have a beautiful new woodland and riverside path which takes walkers safely to Bolton Bridge and Bolton Priory.”

Walkers used to have to go along the road Walkers used to have to go along the road

David Asher, Chair of Burley in Wharfedale Walkers are Welcome added: “We were delighted that the Dales Way Association approached us for help in constructing the new footpath even though it is outside of our normal patch.

"Two working parties of Walkers are Welcome volunteers subsequently cleared the route and created the new footpath meandering through the woodland. A third working party held jointly with Lower Wharfedale Ramblers then installed two gates and repaired fencing in order to finish off the project”.

This section of footpath, between Addingham and Bolton Abbey, but actually in Draughton, will also benefit many thousands of local walkers as well as those tackling the full 80 miles of the Dales Way.