Key Dates
- 1986 - Lady Mary Towneley rode 250 miles from Corbridge, Northumberland to Ashbourne, Derbyshire to investigate the idea of a Pennine Bridleway
- 1987 - 1990 - Feasibility study and route investigation.
- 1995 - Approval for Pennine Bridleway National Trail from Carsington Water, Derbyshire to Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.
- 1999 - Sport England award of £1,841,876 towards route from Derbyshire to North Yorkshire and 3 feeder routes from Keighley, Bolton and Penistone. The Pennine Bridleway project team appointed by Countryside Agency and work began in earnest.
- 2000 - Submission to the Secretary of State for Northern Extension to the Pennine Bridleway from Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria to Byrness, Northumberland.
- 2002 - Opening of the Mary Towneley Loop in 2002 - dedicated to the memory of Lady Mary Towneley who died in February 2001 after a long and bravely fought illness.
- 2002 - Approval to extend the route to Byrness, Northumberland.
- 2004 - Opening of the Southern section from Derbyshire up to the Mary Towneley Loop.
- 2005 - Opening of the Settle Loop
- 2007 - Opening of the Calder Aire link
Development of the Trail
The development of the Trail is managed by Natural England (formerly the Countryside Agency) in partnership with the local authorities. As Highway Authority, the local authorities have the powers and responsibilities for creation, management and maintenance of the Rights of Way network. At the start of the project around 40% of the approved route for the Trail was either on footpath or had no rights of access therefore new bridleway rights have had to be negotiated with landowners on the sections that were not legally rideable. In addition much of the Trail required improvement works such as drainage, surface improvements, new gates, safe road crossing points and way marking to bring it up to National Trail standards.
The Pennine Bridleway has its own National Trail officer who is responsible for overseeing the development of the Trail and once sections of the route are open, ensuring with the help of the local authorities, that the Trail is maintained to National Trail standard.
Progress to date
The southern section of the Trail, 120 miles from Derbyshire up to and including the Mary Towneley Loop, is now open. There are, however, a few remaining places where work is ongoing.
In Derbyshire, the route around Glossop is still under negotiation so interim routes for walkers and cyclists have been provided. Horse riders are advised to stop at Hayfield and restart at Torside on the Longdendale Trail. Some construction work started on "the missing link" from Monk's road in 2009 & a Pegasus crossing is due to be installed at Glossop road near Gamesley in 2010. The missing section is unlikely to be completed before 2012.
North of the Mary Towneley Loop through Lancashire and North Yorkshire negotiations to secure the route continue and construction of the route is progressing. A new bridleway link is available from Paythorne north to Halton West and from Paythorne south to Gisburn (avoiding the A682). The most recent section to be completed is a new bridleway taking Trail users northwards from the Mary Towneley Loop to Wycoller. Work has also begun on the next section of new bridleway heading northwards from Wycoller to the A6068.
Negotiations are ongoing to complete the route to the south of Long Preston whilst designs are being prepared for the crossing of the A65.
Yorkshire Dales
The Settle Loop is now open and elsewhere work is underway on the route through the National Park. Between Long Preston and Settle improvements have been made to Edge and Mitchell Lanes and north of the Loop major improvements have been made to Goat Scar Lane at Stainforth. Improvements have also been made to the existing bridleways between Little Stainforth and Austwick, Long Lane and Thwaite Lane, Arten Gill and Monkeybeck Grains and Lady Anne's Highway. A new bridleway link has been provided between Cam Road and Newby Head and works to improve the condition of Cam Road itself have also been undertaken.
The new section of bridleway from Garsdale Station via the Moorcock Inn and on towards the Lady Anne Clifford Highway will be completed by Spring 2010 taking Trail users across the border from the National Park into Cumbria and the current northernmost point of the route at Street.
Work on the final section of the route within the Dales is due in late summer/autumn 2010 to build the new bridleway from the south of Selside across the River Ribble and on towards Ling Gill and the Cam Road.
Northern section
This section runs from Kirkby Stephen to Byrness in Northumberland a distance of around 140 miles, passing through Cumbria and Northumberland including Northumberland National Park. Approval to extend the route northwards was obtained in 2002. At present funding is being sought to develop the northern section and the date of opening is not yet known.
Link Routes
There are three link routes from Bolton, Bingley (in West Yorkshire) and Penistone - named the West Pennine, Calder Aire and Dark Peak Links respectively, which join the National Trail to these large centres of population providing opportunities to a greater number of people. The routes do not have National Trail status but are part of the Sport England funding and will provide excellent rides or walks in their own right. The links are being developed in conjunction with the local authorities in the same way as the National Trail itself. The Calder Aire link opened in 2007 and the remaining link routes are anticipated to be completed in 2012.