ride2stride: The Yorkshire walking festival based around the stunning Settle to Carlisle railway line

The festival, which began in 2012, was initially inspired by Tony and Chris Grogan, a husband and wife team who have produced a series of walking guides for the area.

This year’s ride2stride runs from April 29 to May 5, with Chris Grogan hosting the opening ceremony in the Settle Station forecourt.

Diane Taylor, one of the festival organisers, said: “This was to be a one-off event but the response in the first year was huge and people were saying when do you do it this year.

“This will be the tenth year with a three-year break during the Covid years. People come from all the country and indeed the world with people coming from the USA, Canada, Spain and Germany to mention just a few countries.

“The festival is entirely run by volunteers and all walks are free - just turn up at the station indicated in the programme.”

She added: “To quote the walker from Texas – ‘what's not to like: the Yorkshire Dales, the hospitality and the Railroad!’ It is a privilege to show people our wonderful Yorkshire Dales.”

The festival aims to cater for a variety of walkers, from those preferring a relatively gentle stroll to those wanting something more arduous.

One of the organised walks, the Shanty Town Explorer, features a visit to a site of one of the shanty towns built for navvies during the construction of the famed Ribblehead Viaduct, which carries the Settle to Carlisle railway across Batty Moss in the Ribble Valley.

Another involves a history walk around north Skipton led by local historian Sue Wrathmell, ending at the Craven Museum and Gallery.

The festival has a wide variety of events as well as walks, including a series of talks at the Friends Meeting House in Settle.

The history of the Dent Marble Industry is covered by geologist Bill Fraser, ‘History Underfoot’ features a talk by archaeologist Dr David Johnson on Ingleborough’s past and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will also be giving a talk about the rewilding of Ingleborough to create a flourishing habitat for wildlife and wildflowers. There is a £3 fee for the talks to cover room hire.

There is also music at pubs in Settle and Ribblehead along with a special Yorkshire quiz night.

All the ride2stride walks are guided and free, with no booking required. As Spring is a crucial time of year for wildlife and livestock in the Yorkshire Dales, with fields full of young lambs, newly turned out cattle and ground nesting birds, dogs are not allowed unless they are assistance dogs.

The festival aims to encourage the use of public transport and all walks will finish in time to catch a train due to arrive in Leeds shortly after 7pm.