| 2017-01-06 |    |
A Lasting Legacy that Helps the Landscape
One of the country’s best-loved walking trails has been added to a project that is improving access to the countryside while paying lasting tributes to a lost loved one.
The Friends of the North Pennines, a charity whose members are passionate about looking after the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, (AONB), run the Donate-a-Gate scheme. This scheme aims to replace old stiles and other access points with new gates which include plaques commemorating the life of someone special or a memorable event.
Donate a gate
Gates have already been placed in some areas of the AONB but the scheme will now focus on the 70-mile stretch of the popular Pennine Way in Cumbria, County Durham, and Northumberland between Tan Hill and Greenhead.
David Fruin, the Chair of the charity, said:
“If you have ever grumbled
about having to negotiate some of the more awkward stiles on this
route, the Donate-a-Gate scheme is a great way to improve things.
Not only will the scheme improve countryside access, it can also
be a perfect memorial to someone who loved the outdoors or to celebrate
an event such as a birth, a wedding or a graduation.
“If you have a particular location in mind, either because it’s a favourite place or a specific stile that you really found awkward, then we will do our best to accommodate your requested location.
If you’re happy for us to choose a location, then we can do that, too.”
A new gate, complete with plaque, costs around £400. Negotiations with landowners and installation will be arranged by the local county council’s rights of way officers.
For further details and an application form click here
