Читать книгу The Ribble Way. A Northern England Trail онлайн

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But as soon as the Ribble Way opened, it was extended in the other direction, beyond Gisburn Bridge, right to the source of the river. (The route was devised by the late Gladys Sellers, author of the first Cicerone guide to the Ribble Way.) Since then there have been several marked improvements to the way, including, for example, a new section of path at Hurst Green which skirts the woods above the river and avoids the need to climb onto a road. More recently a path opened through Gisburne Park, which in bypassing Gisburn eliminates a long and disagreeable walk along the busy A682. On the downside, however, one of the most picturesque sections of the route was lost to the public in 1999 when a landowner successfully contested the legitimacy of the riverside right of way between Sawley and Gisburn.

The 70½ mile (113km) route that has evolved does not always run right beside the river, as was first envisaged. Nevertheless, it remains within the broad confines of the valley, and proponents of the original scheme might concede that an advantage of this occasionally elevated course is the expansive views it offers over the surrounding countryside.