Yorkshire Dales National Park to expand into Cumbria

The clock has started ticking in the countdown to the enlargement of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

In October last year Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced that the National Park will be increased by nearly a quarter from August 1 when its boundary is extended to include a small part of Lancashire and an additional area of Cumbria.

Currently, 12 per cent of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is in Cumbria. That figure will increase to 27 per cent on August 1.

It means the area covered by the National Park will increase by 24 per cent from 680 sq miles (1,762 sq kms) to 841 sq miles (2,179 sq kms).

The decision was subject to any legal appeal and none was lodged.

The new boundary for the Yorkshire Dales National Park will now include the Orton Fells, the northern Howgill Fells, Wild Boar Fell and Mallerstang to the north and, to the west, Barbon, Middleton, Casterton and Leck Fell, the River Lune, and part of Firbank Fell and other fells to the west of the River Lune.