Clare Balding spent time with national park staff on the Dales Way

Yorkshire Dales staff will feature in a BBC radio broadcast following a day spent with presenter Clare Balding.

Ms Balding walked a section of the Dales Way for her Ramblings series on Radio 4.

She was also accompanied by Rohan clothing brand founder Sarah Howcroft on the route, which runs from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere in Cumbria.

The broadcaster was joined by national park staff on the section between Bolton Abbey and Burnsall. Area ranger Phil Richards and 20-year-old Dales Rural Trainee Scheme apprentice Arkady Bogg-Hargroves accompanied the broadcaster on her walk.

She was joined by Area Ranger Phil Richards and 20-year-old Dales Rural Trainee Scheme apprentice Arkady Bogg-Hargroves.

Mr Richards said: “We had a good walk, although a lot of it was in the pouring rain.

“She wanted to know more about the work we do, including the maintenance of the Dales Way footpath and the public rights of way network, how we manage public access, and riverbank and habit protection.

“We spent a great morning with her and she was impressed at the scope of work the rangers get involved in and the people we work with, especially landowners, farmers and local communities.”

Ms Balding spent four days on the route for the Ramblings series, which features six programmes about well-known walks. The Dales Way series begins on Thursday, at 3pm, with the first section of the route to Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale.

The Dales Way at Bolton Abbey

The national park staff will appear in the second episode, a week later.

Mr Bogg-Hargroves said: “Clare was really nice and very down-to-earth. After about five minutes walking with her you forgot she was famous.”

Ms Balding said: “I had a great day with Phil and Arkady; they were just brilliant.

“I was fascinated by the work that the national park authority does to look after the beautiful landscape and its biodiversity. It’s a big job and there are so many aspects to it.”