A TEN day walking festival in a Furness town has got off on a good footing with organisers pleased with the numbers stepping out.

Ulverston's WalkFest caters for ramblers of all abilities and offers hikers an opportunity to visit the Conishead Priory, see the tarns around Newby Bridge and find out about the mining history of Dunnerdale Fells as well as attempt Nordic walking.

"Being a walk leader is very rewarding, it gives more than it takes," said Jane Carson, who lead a walk which examines the influence of man on Plumpton's landscape. "People visiting Ulverston just see this beautiful area, but unfortunately don't often know anything about its heritage or the history of its small-scale industry."

"The attendance at WalkFest has been good this far," said committee member Stan Aspinall. "If you don't have a walking partner, you shouldn't worry because everyone is very friendly.

"The miles just fly by while chatting to others. Last year we had about 400 visitors to the festival, and hopefully we can go beyond that this year."

WalkFest was started in 1999 by Jean and Steve Povey to attract more visitors to the area, but the current organisers have found that while walkers do arrive from all over the country, most are local.

"Walkers are able to visit all of these places with us first, and have a more in-depth look on their own if they're local," she said.

There is also the opportunity to acquire new skills by taking part in rambles offering map reading skills, painting and Nordic walking.

The committee is trying to attract a younger crowd with themed events like the Ulverston Ale Trail where walkers can visit real-ale pubs of historical interest and the renewal of last year's family favourite, the alpaca encounter.

"We would love to welcome more young people, but understandably they often have work commitments," Mr Aspinall said. "We have noticed that many of the more themed walks, such as a bat event and meeting the alpacas, have attracted large numbers of people of different ages.

"In May we'll be having a meeting to build on the feedback received from visitors, and hopefully make next year's festival even better."

Most of the walks are open to enter but some require booking.

Ulverston WalkFest runs until Monday (May 1). For more information, visit www.ulverstonwalkfest.co.uk.