Cycling UK and the British Horse Society have joined forces to denounce the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the"missed opportunity" in not planning to make England's next National Trail, Alfred Wainwright's famous Coast to Coast, open to cyclists and horse riders along the whole route, and failing to consult either group about it.
In a statement, Cycling UK's head of campaigns Duncan Dollimore said:"When upgrading rights of way like bridleways, Natural England and Defra are legally obliged to consult with statutory consultees representing their different user groups. The 'C2C' route is a shorter version of Wainwright's classic for cyclists and part of the National Cycle Network
"The benefits are real for rural hospitality businesses, which will see increased trade from a more diverse group of visitors.” "Supporting this route to be multi-use could also make a valuable contribution to the north’s rural economy, helping to achieve the government’s stated objective of levelling up.
I cycled it with my brother on our MTBs in 1991 - followed the original wainwright path - fantastic 👍🏻