The Journey for Access team will be hitting the trail in September, riding some 450 miles from North EastYorkshire down into Wales. These intrepid ladies are riding to raise money for Cancer Backup and BBT. To help them, click here.

Read Catriona's blog.

The Aim.

Firstly, it is to celebrate the delights of accessing the countryside, but above all to highlight the lack of a byway and bridleway network. Over the last six years the government has established and funded open access for walkers, but has not delivered any increase in access for higher rights users. The Discovering Lost Ways (DLW) project has the greatest capacity to deliver a byway and bridleway network, but now only has 20 years left in which to record these ancient routes. Rights of Way Improvement Plans (ROWIPs) may identify gaps in the network and dangerous stretches of road linking bridleways, but government has not offered local authorities any funding to implement these plans directly. In fact, local authority funding is being squeezed and, as a result, many rights of way department budgets are being cut.
Secondly, funds will be raised and split 50:50 between the Byways & Bridleways Trust and Cancer Backup. The former gives access to the countryside, and the latter gives access to information about all cancers. The BBT donations will go into an access fighting fund to be used for court cases, to back volunteers involved in rights of way work, and be available to all the affiliated organisations that sit on the BBT Council. Click here to donate on line.

Thirdly, it is a chance for all the BBT Council organisations (that is all the organisations that represent higher rights users) to show that we are all concerned about DLW. They will each be allocated a day to join the journey with the relevant publicity.

The Route:

Journey for Access 2006 starts from Scarborough, heading across the North York Moors, crossing the almost impenetrable (for horses) Vale of York, and then to the Dales National Park, near Skipton. The route then travels down the Pennine Bridleway through the Peak District to Buxton in Derbyshire, and on to Bridgnorth, via the BHS ‘Sabrina Way’, along the Jack Mytton Way to join the BHS ‘Radnor Forest Ride’ taking the team across Wales to the Brecon Beacons.

The People:

The core team will consist of Catriona Cook, Elizabeth Kirk and Janet Miller. They are being joined for a week each by Ros Allen, Stephanie Wheeler….. and Owen Cook.

Elizabeth, 78 and arthritic, is no longer able to walk over hill and dale due to replacement knee and hip and will illustrate the advantage of a pony and bridleway for the less able. Catriona, who has had two primary cancers, breast and thyroid, believes strongly that equestrian access to the countryside enabled her to be so upbeat through all the treatment. She will highlight the therapeutic properties of rights of way and the help that she received from Cancer Backup. Janet, 75, will emphasise the advantages of riding as a means of keeping fit for the elderly and continuing enjoyment of the countryside.

The Ponies:

The team will be mounted on New Forest ponies. Native ponies have the temperament, stamina and high miles-per-gallon that are required for this sort of expedition. Being smaller than horses they are also easier for older riders to get on and off, and nearer for reaching to open gates.

Fund Raising:

Members of the public,  who will be expected to be sponsored, may join the journey on the following dates:-

 

Bank Holiday Monday 28th August: North York Moors, Harwood Dale to Newton on Rawcliffe c 18 miles

Tuesday 29th August: North York Moors, Newton Rawcliffe to Pockley c 19 miles

Saturday 2nd September afternoon only: North Yorks. Swinsty Moor to Beamsley c 10 miles

Monday 4th September: North Yorks. Beamsley to Coniston Cold c 20 miles

Saturday 9th September: Derbys. Near Glossop to near Buxton c 25 miles

Saturday 16th September: Shropshire, Bridgnorth to near Church Stretton 24 miles

Saturday 23rd September: Wales, Lower Chapel to Brecon Beacon Visitor Centre c 15 miles.

For more information and related forms please click this link.

Further details and entry forms may be applied for by sending an SAE to:-

Mrs C Cook, Burgate Farm, Harwood Dale, Scarborough. YO13 0DS

Tel: 01723 870333

Money may be donated to the above address, cheques made payable to “The BBT Journey for Access”, all money will be equally split between Cancer Backup and BBT. Or you may donate online via the button above.