Work has been completed to improve a Lake District trail.
The 8.5-mile Eskdale Trail runs from Dalegarth to Ravenglass and is part of the wider Connecting Cumbria’s Hidden Coast programme, led by Cumberland Council and funded with £1.15 million from Sellafield Ltd and more than £1 million from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund.
Organisations including Community Rail Cumbria, Eskdale Railway and Muncaster Castle also supported the project, led by the Lake District National Park Authority.
The Eskdale Trail is made up of country lanes, stony and earth tracks, and grass fields. It is hoped the improvements will attract cyclists and walkers in the valley connecting them with the La’al Ratty to make it more accessible as a fun way to explore Eskdale and will hopefully attract families.
To celebrate the reopening, children from Bransty Primary School in Whitehaven attended a special event where they walked some of the trail and had a ride on the nearby La’al Ratty.
Lake District National Park area ranger Adam Phillips said: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to upgrade the much-loved Eskdale Trail. The work carried out was a collaborative effort with local artist Chris Brammall designing and fabricating the new finger posts and gate latches that give the trail its distinct image and our field rangers who installed them as well as improving the surfaces. We hope this will be enjoyed by all.”
