A celebration of the Coast to Coast Walk becoming one of the UK’s National Trails was held on the trail in Fremington, near Reeth.
The event was attended by the people and organisations that helped have Alf Wainright’s famous 192-mile trek across the North of England through the heart of North Yorkshire brought up to the standard necessary for official recognition.
They included Rishi who launched a campaign for National Trail status not long after he was first elected MP for the area.
The event, held at The Dales Bike Centre, was attended by representatives of Natural England, the Government-funded body responsible for the UK’s National Trails network, and the local authorities and national parks who supported Rishi's campaign.
David Butterworth, the chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, opened the event and acknowledged Rishi’s contribution.
He said Rishi’s campaign gave the idea of National Trail status for the walk some real impetus and traction.
“The idea about the walk being upgraded through National Trail designation had been talked about but nothing had been achieved until Rishi took up the cause.
“National Trail status appeared in his party’s manifesto for the General Election of 2019 and a Government announcement that it would be made a National Trail followed.
“And we wouldn’t be here today without Rishi’s help in getting it over the line.”
Mr Butterworth, who retires this week, also paid tribute to his team, led by Alan Hulme, head of park management, for its practical work improving the walk to ensure it met the standard of a National Trail. This included waymarking and the massive project of laying thousands of flagstones across the boggiest sections of the walk in upper Swaledale.
He also singled out Hazel Thomas, of Natural England, for her work on the project. She retires too shortly after many years working on the UK’s National Trails.
Rishi said he wanted to thank everyone present who had backed his campaign and had then done the work hard after the Government had provided the £5.6m necessary to do all the work.
He added: “You’ll have to forgive me if a I get a bit emotional about this moment because this day – National Trail status for what I believe is a national treasure – is among my proudest achievements as the MP for this area.
He said the walk being a National Trail – with funding for maintenance and promotion – was important because of the vital trade it generated for businesses along the route.
Rishi referred to a conversation he had with the landlord of the White Swan pub at Danby Wiske, near Northallerton, in 2015.
“Steve Knight told me how the accommodation he provided for Coast to Coasters was absolutely vital for his business. He also mentioned the anomaly that the walk – one of the most famous in the world which brought hundreds of international visitors to his pub every year – was not one of the UK National Trails. I launched the campaign a few months later.”
He paid tribute to the work of the Wainwright Society, custodians of the famous fellwalker’s legacy, who had supported his campaign. He presented a commemorative Coast to Coast waymarker fingerpost sign to Derek Cockell, the former secretary of the Wainwright Society who had assisted with the campaign.
Rishi was presented with a similar fingerpost sign in recognition of his work by Mr Butterworth.
Other speakers at the event included Brenda Price, co-owner with her husband Stuart of the Dales Bike Centre, the venue for the launch event.
She said: “I cannot overstate the importance of the Coast to Coast Walk to businesses like ours. Running any business in this part of the country has its unique challenges and we need every bit of help to be sustainable, to employ people and develop what we have here.
“National Trail status for the walk is a huge boost for us and thousands of businesses along the length of the walk.”
Rishi’s campaign to achieve National Trail status for the walk was launched in Reeth almost exactly ten years ago.
As part of the campaign, he signed up more than 70 parish councils, national parks and other bodies in support and fought to highlight the issue in Parliament where he held a special Westminster Hall debate and lobbied ministers about the walk’s vital economic importance.
