INGLETON has thrown its hat into the ring and suggested the town be an alternative start and finish point to the Yorkshire Three Peaks route.

The idea has been made following complaints from residents in Horton-in-Ribblesdale of noise and disturbance caused by some walkers,

While the village of Horton looks at way to reduce noise, suggestions have come forward to move the start and finish point away from the village.

Allan Shutt, landlord of The Station Inn, at Ribblehead, offered to co-ordinate and marshal walkers setting off from the pub. However, talks have stalled after it was learned the suggested car park site - a disused quarry - was a nature reserve.

It has now been announced that Ingleton’s Overground and Underground Festival has entered into talks with parish councils, residents, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Ingleton Area Business Group and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust to find a way around the problem.

The organisers said the famous walk originally started at Chapel-le-Dale, but it was “savvy” cafe owners in Horton who offered a clocking in and our service and the start was moved there 50 years ago.

Debby Kuhlmann, chairman of the Ingleton Area Business Group said: “Over recent years due to an increase in the number of walkers Horton-in-Ribblesdale has become inundated and is struggling to cope.

“It was decided to launch Ingleton’s Three Peaks and promote Ingleton as the place to start and finish the challenge. This has been part-funded through Stories in Stone, a four-year programme of community and heritage projects developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership, which is led by YDMT..”

The walk would start from the community centre where the car park has spaces for 78 cars.

Debbie Boswell, YDMT’s Discover Ingleborough Officer said: “It’s a great idea to promote an alternative start and finish to the very popular route. Stories in Stone aims to improve the Ingleborough area for residents and visitors, and hopefully this initiative will do just that.”

Carl Lis, ward representative for Ingleton and chairman of YDNPA said he supported the plan.

“I think it will bring more visitors to Ingleton which can’t be a bad thing, though I think the longer distance making the walk over 29 miles will probably only attract perhaps 100 people each weekend.

“The Horton route is the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks walk which most people will want to do in the standard 12 hour timescale but having a route start from Ingleton should go some way to helping reduce the pressure.

“We should give it a go. Some people are concerned that the roads will get filled up before the car park but we won’t know until we try it and see how popular it is.

“The national park is hugely aware of the problems Horton has and we are actively looking at ways to help the village. However, the route is open countryside and we cannot stop people from coming to walk it.”

The new route starts at the community centre, in Ingleton. Details of it are on the website www.3peaksyorkshire.com and a posted has been placed outside and leaflets approved and printed.

This Sunday Craig and Sam Perkins of SAAIG Outdoors will be leading a walk encompassing Ingleborough and Whernside to launch awareness of the new route.