A KIRKBY Lonsdale hotel will dish up 25 per cent bigger Yorkshire puddings to celebrate the expansion of the Yorkshire Dales National Park by almost a quarter.

The national park boundary will move to within strolling distance of The Royal Hotel on August 1 2016, when the park increases in size.

To mark the occasion, chefs at The Royal will make their Yorkshires around 25 per cent larger than normal for roast lunch diners on Sunday July 31 - the nearest Sunday to Yorkshire Day.

Hotel general manager Damian Atkins said: "Our Yorkshire puddings are a favourite element of our locally legendary Sunday lunches so we thought we'd give diners even more of what they love to mark the expansion of the national park."

The boundary change means nearby Barbon, Middleton, Casterton and Leck Fells will become part of the national park.

Damian added: "The Yorkshire Dales is a very special area and we are delighted that the national park is now going to include the stunning fells which we can see from the Royal. These amazing landscapes are such a fantastic area to explore as well as being utterly beautiful."

Chef Bart Lagocki said: "I use the good old tried and tested recipe of equal quantities of egg, flour and milk and I do like to add a little beef dripping.

"But I always maintain that although the recipe is important, a good hot oven is the secret to great Yorkies!"