Dales delight on Yorkshire Day
National park is sign of the times
ON A special day when Yorkshire pride, one of this county’s greatest traits, is even more palpable than usual, the extension of the Dales national park is both timely and symbolic. It is recognition, from the Government, that the newly-extended Yorkshire Dales, and also the Lake District, offer unrivalled beauty that warrant environmental protection for generations to come.
That the Dales, and Lake District, will effectively merge into one super National Park can only help boost tourism levels still further in this very special part of the country. However, there is a caveat. Maintaining these distinct landscapes does cost money and this extension comes at a time when various national park authorities find conservation policies, and the maintenance of these areas of breathtaking beauty, compromised by spending cuts imposed by Ministers based in London.
National parks across the UK enjoy their worldwide reputation because their special landscapes have been carefully managed, and nurtured, over the years – and any diminution of this will compromise areas like the Dales, North York Moors and Peak District.
Yet, as the western edge of the Dales meanders seamlessly into the Lakes, how about some more prominent signs on the county’s major roads signifying Yorkshire’s boundaries? Motorists heading north of the border are left in no doubt when they reach Scotland while Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North sculpture greets drivers when they reach Gateshead.
Though nothing quite so ostentatious is being advocated in this instance, this appears to be one instance when Yorkshire seems to be showing some uncharacteristic reserve – look at the row a few years ago when the Highways Agency did not want to erect brown tourism signs on the newly-widened A1M promoting Masham, one of the gateways to the Dales.
Given ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ is also the name of this region’s globallyacclaimed tourism body, it makes even more sense for a network of signs to this effect being erected on key roads. Over to you, Sir Gary Verity.