We are really delighted to update you on footpath improvements involving the Dales High Way, the Millennium Way and the Welcome Way along Otley Road across Rombalds Moor. Until recently, these routes all required walkers to brave the edge of the very busy Otley Road near Weecher Reservoir, with traffic whizzing by, for about 200 yards.
The four local Walkers are Welcome groups (Burley, Otley, Bingley and Baildon) offered to work with Bradford Highways Officers to create a safer footway for walkers along this stretch of Bingley Road. We offered to raise funds and to provide volunteer labour but in the end neither were required. We are most grateful to Kevin Whitaker of Bradford Council’s Highways Service for his support for the creation of this new footway and for applying for and gaining government funding to meet the cost. The photo shows the new path and bollards to create a separation from traffic.
We think this is another great local improvement for walkers.
For more information about the story behind this improvement, please read this great article from Claire Lomax at the Ilkley Gazette:
Otley and Burley Walking groups welcome improvements to moorland path
A safer and quicker route
As mentioned above, many Long Distance Walks go along the busy Otley Road to go into the Rombalds Moor. In our first edition of the Welcome Way, it was decided that the route shouldn't go along Otley Road for safety reasons. Instead a small detour via the hamlet of Faweather Grange was decided. Unfortunately, over the years the crossing of Gill Beck became really boggy and in very wet conditions almost impossible. For the second edition, we then decided it would be best abandoning this detour in favour of the Otley Road stretch.
It is therefore incredibly brilliant that the improvement pathway work along Otley Road happened so quickly after the launch of the second edition of the Welcome Way book!
Note about map:
Green path: new route for the Welcome Way via improved Otley Road pathway
Red path: old route for the Welcome Way via Gill Beck and Faweather Grange
Welcome Way route before and after
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