Walking back to happiness with festival (From Wharfedale Observer)

Walking back to happiness with festival

4:29pm Friday 7th September 2012 in News By Amanda Greaves

The annual South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival will hit the road in Wharfedale this weekend.

Promoting walking, cycling and horse riding in the South Pennines landscape, the festival will run from Saturday until September 26.

The 16-day programme is organised by the rural regeneration company Pennine Prospects. Its director, Mark Turner, said: “All the events on the website are graded from easy to strenuous so people can choose the activities that will suit them best.

“If you want to try something new, we have lots of opportunities. Why not go stunt bike riding or pony trekking?”

One of the first events on Saturday will be a walk from Otley, visiting Clifton and Leathley, taking time out for a guided tour and some tasters at Pool-in-Wharfedale’s Wharfebank Brewery. Bookings should be made by tomorrow. Call 07967 636281 for details.

Part of a series of Stanza Stones events, following the trail of rocks carved with poetry, a walk will head across Rombalds Moor from Bingley to Ilkley on September 15.

Another trek two days later will follow a nine-mile linear route from Ilkley to Skipton.

On the same day, there will be a 3.5-mile walk along the lower slopes of Ilkley Moor, ending with afternoon tea and a chance to test the waters at the historic White Wells spa.

Wharfedale will be back in the spotlight on September 23, with a nine-mile walk from Ilkley’s Denton Bridge, through Denton, onto moorland to Clifton, before following an ancient pathway down to Otley.

Visit walkandridefestival.co.uk for full detail of these and other festival events.