The Peaty Dales Way
What is the Peaty Dales Way?
The Dales Way is a long-distance walking route crossing the Yorkshire Dales National Park, starting in Ilkley and finishing in Windermere. It was originally designed to follow rivers and valleys but along the way, much of the route also passes through our peatlands.
We created the Peaty Dales Way leaflet to highlight this often-overlooked side of the journey, helping walkers discover just how closely the route is connected to these unique and important landscapes.
How is Yorkshire Peat Partnership connected to the Dales Way?
The Dales Way itself was created and is maintained by the Dales Way Association. However, many of the places it passes are sites of peat restoration, led by us - Yorkshire Peat Partnership.
As you walk, you’ll be surrounded by many of the sites we’ve helped to restore. Several of these are highlighted in the leaflet, where you can discover the story of their ongoing recovery.
What inspired the Peaty Dales Way leaflet?
Thousands of people walk part or all of the Dales Way every year, passing through valleys overlooked by blanket bog, and crossing stretches of peatland. Working on a project at Nethergill Farm which sits directly on the route, we were inspired to create a resource that would help walkers connect to the peaty element of their walk.
To develop the leaflet and gain further insight we spent time with Dales Way walkers and members of the Dales Association. It became clear that the stretch between Kettlewell and Cam is regarded as one of the most challenging parts of the journey, but it is also one of the peatiest. The leaflet seeks to highlight the value and character of this landscape, offering a different perspective on a section of the route that many simply get their head down and push through.
The leaflet's illustration were inspired by workshops between the artist Charlotte Wilkinson and both the Dales Way Association and Young Creatives groups, where ideas were developed.
Acknowledgements
The leaflet was illustrated by Charlotte Wilkinson using collagraph printing techniques.
The creation and production of this leaflet was supported by the Yorkshire Dales National Park, National Trust, Dales Way Association, Young Creatives and Nethergill Farm.
It was generously funded by Farming in Protected Landscapes fund.
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