[Y]orkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) staff have lopped sycamore saplings and overgrown rhododendrons to restore a viewpoint described by writer John Ruskin as the most “naturally divine” in England.
Iron railings lining the beauty spot in St Mary’s churchyard in Kirkby Lonsdale – known as “Ruskin’s View” – were also cleaned, sanded down and repainted.
The work – which took place yesterday on the steep southern bank of the River Lune – was carried out by 12 normally ‘desk-bound’ officers.
“This autumn we wanted to give all our 130 members of staff the chance to spend a day working with the ranger service,” said Lesley Knevitt, Corporate Services Officer. “The offer has been enthusiastically taken up, with officers saying how satisfying it has been to carry out practical tasks.
“Much of the spectacular panorama from Ruskin’s View, which looks out over the River Lune into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, was obscured by foliage. At the end of the day, staff could quite literally see the difference they had made.”
In the past few weeks staff have also:
- Laid flags on the Coast-to-Coast path in Swaledale
- Cut away encroaching turf along a section of the Pennine Way in Hawes known as Charcoals
And in the next few weeks they will:
- Clean up a flood-damaged stream across the village green in Ireby
- Plant native woodland in Stainforth
- Create a wildlife demonstration site in Thorlby
- Assemble a wooden kit bridge over Sally Beck in Sedbergh
