Walking route in line for revamp
A POPULAR long-distance walk could undergo a revamp with the addition of a set of smaller circular routes.
St Oswald's Way is a 97-mile walk starting at Holy Island and finishing at Heavenfield on Hadrian's Wall.
It links some of the places associated with St Oswald, the King of Northumbria in the early seventh century and travels right across Alnwick district.
It has already proved a hit and was a great success with members of the public attending the outdoor show in Birmingham. And because of this success, it is likely that additional funding will come from the Northumberland Strategic Partnership to help fund the next phase of the project.
The next stage – phase two – is a way of making the walk more accessible with a series of smaller walks incorporated into the longer route at locations including Rothbury, Belford and Bamburgh.
It would include a number of two-mile walks and a few four to six-mile walks and they would be accessible for both families and people with limited mobility.
Gary Campbell, cultural and tourism development officer at Alnwick District Council, said: "The idea of phase two is that not everybody wants to come to Northumberland and do a long distance walk. Ninety miles is very daunting. St Oswald's Way offers something for everybody and the smaller walks will be on key locations so that people will still be able to enjoy the St Oswald's Way experience."
The project has got the backing from the district council.
Speaking at an operation scrutiny and overview committee, Coun Peter Dawson said: "It is a really worthwhile project. It shows what can be done if the will is there. It is all really good."
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Weather for Northumberland
Friday 25 May 2012
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