Park bodies get green-lane powers

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Prestatyn celebrates welcome for walkers

Prestatyn this weekend celebrated its status as the first town in Wales to gain the Walkers Are Welcome accolade.A walkers’ day, including guided rambles, workshops and stalls was opened by Roger Thomas, chief executive of the Countryside Council for Wales and was address by the Ramblers’ Association chairman Kate Ashbrook.Hebden Bridge in the West Yorkshire Pennines was the first to gain the award, followed by Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway and now the principality’s walking-friendly resort.

Trespass company snaps up Nevisport business

Failed retailer Nevisport has been bought by a subsidiary of the company which owns the Trespass brand.Liquidators KPMG say 80 jobs have been saved by the takeover, which will see six Nevisport stores remaining open.

Court unable to sentence Three Peaks Challenger who fell asleep at the wheel

A Three Peaks Challenge walker who caused a crash when he fell asleep at the wheel of his car may escape his sentence.Ben Nevis, which Campbell had summited before his crashNeil Campbell, of Kelty, Fife, caused serious injuries to a Cumbrian woman when he collided with the car she was in, after he had summited two of the three mountains in the event.Campbell was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Wainwright fans welcome 1,000th member

The Wainwright Society has enrolled its thousandth member.The organisation, formed to study and promote the works of The Grumpy Old Fellwalker Alfred Wainwright, announced the milestone at its memorial lecture at the weekend.Margaret Blowey of Cheshire received a boxed set of Wainwright’s Lakeland Sketchbook series at the event at Rheged, near Penrith.

Boy dies after Snowdon fall

A schoolboy died after a fall from a ridge in Snowdonia yesterday.The 11-year-old, from Liverpool, fell 60m from Crib y Ddysgl on the Snowdon horseshoe.

Three walkers rescued from Tryfan

Three walkers were lowered to safety by rescuers who found them clinging to a Snowdonia rock face.The trio – two women from Hendon, north London and a man from Bedford – were cragfast on Tryfan’s western face.

Six-year-old claims Wainwright record

Followers of the Grumpy Old Fellwalker say they will wait for evidence before accepting the claim of the youngest ever completer of Wainwright’s 214 Lakeland peaks.Six-year-old Ben Fleetwood of Selside, Kendal, claims to have conquered every fell covered in Alfred Wainwright’s acclaimed Pictorial Guides – that’s a total of 135,000ft (41,150m) of ascent, more than 4½ Everests.Tarn Crag, Ben's final conquest If confirmed, it will make Ben the youngest to have successfully tackled all the Wainwrights.

Row erupts over Henley path closure

Henley: straw boaters, the regatta, Boris Johnson and… er, Liam Gallagher.It has everything quintessential to the English countryside, including its illustrious inhabitants, charming Oxfordshire riparian walks and, that essential British ingredient: a bit of aggro.Kate Ashbrook: 'council is charging ahead'There’s a row brewing in the Thames-side town between the organisers of its festival, a black-tie bonanza for culture vultures which has the heavy scent of corporate and clubby privilege, and the Open Spaces Society, which represents those who would rather don Gore-tex or Paramo for a stroll along public footpaths and which, coincidentally, has its headquarters in Henley.