The Yorkshire Post says: A winter wonder – full steam ahead to Ribblehead and opening up national parks to all
WHEN SNOW-CAPPED peaks provided a stunning backdrop as a steam train chugged slowly across the equally spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct, this beguiling sight on a wintry weekend was a gentle reminder that this region is blessed to be home to three national parks.
Other parts of the country are less fortunate, hence fresh calls by the Campaign to Protect Rural England to improve accessibility to Britain’s celebrated landscapes because of the recuperative benefits which can be derived from a day out in the countryside.
Yet, while access to a car is imperative for those venturing to the more remote wildernesses, the decline in public transport is making it harder for others to visit picturesque tourist towns in the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Peak District.
If only politicians chose not to consider transport in purely economic terms. For, as the CPRE says, there is a clear link between the great outdoors – and increased health and happiness.