Five new accessible walking routes have been unveiled in the Lake District.
The Lake District National Park Authority has launched the new Miles without Stiles routes, which are accessible walks for people with limited mobility such as wheelchair users, families with pushchairs, the visually impaired, and anyone who wants an easier walk with no scrambling, climbing or steep hills.
It received a £167,300 grant from Defra’s Access For All scheme, which funded both the new routes and other accessibility work across the national park.
The authority, with partners including National Trust, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils, Forestry England and Grasmere Society, have improved surfacing, installed bridges, removed stiles and upgraded gates so the trails meet the standards required to be graded as Miles without Stiles routes.
Routes which now have Miles without Stiles accessibility status are the Jubilee Walk in Grasmere, Ridding Wood and Millwood Trail in Grizedale Forest, Revelin Moss in Whinlatter Forest and Howrahs Path, which runs from Keswick to Portinscale.
Two other Miles without Stiles routes have also been extended, a route at Loweswater and the Swirls Trail route at Thirlmere, supported by United Utilities.
Will Clark is a member of the park authority, Westmorland and Furness councillor for Windermere and Ambleside, and Lakes Parish councillor for Grasmere.
He said: “The Lake District, like all national parks, should be accessible to all, I am immensely proud of the five new accessible routes, particularly the one in Grasmere, as this was the one I was most involved in.
“Routes such as these allow more people to enjoy the stunning scenery whether a wheelchair user, young family or just looking for an easier walk.
“Throughout my own life I have found spending time outdoors enjoyable and beneficial to my own mental health, and this is still the case since my spinal injury.
“These new routes provide more opportunities to experience time in the outdoors. I would like to thank everybody that has been involved in making these routes possible.”
Adrian Jones, interim head of recreation and visitor experience at Forestry England (North District), said: “We’re proud to have worked with the Lake District National Park Authority and other partners to help create more opportunities for people to enjoy both our forests and the wider Lake District’s special landscapes.
“Spending time in nature can bring many physical and mental health benefits and it’s fantastic to see our routes at Grizedale and Whinlatter join the Miles without Stiles network. These improvements will help make it easier for more people – including those with limited mobility, families with pushchairs and visitors looking for gentler routes – to explore and enjoy days out together beneath the trees.”
Find all the Miles without Stiles routes on the Lake District National Park website at https://lakedistrict.gov.uk/explore/things-to-do/accessible-routes/
