August 2020 News
Our activities have inevitably been much reduced because of the Corona virus; however, the committee has still been working away. We will produce a newsletter soon. Members are invited to catch up on our activities at our Zoom AGM on Tuesday 1st September 2020.
February 2020 Newsletter
Walking groups back the bridge
An appeal by West Riding Area of Ramblers to affiliated walking groups to consider providing financial support for the bridge has resulted in a number of positive responses. While some groups have indicated they are waiting for AGMs or committee meetings before being able to make a decision, we have been pleased to receive a number of donations which have boosted our construction bank account recently. Thanks to the Rothwell Footpath Group, Huddersfield Health Ramblers, the Morley Walking Club, and Friends of DalesRail.
Annual subs
Members who pay their subscription annually will have received a separate reminder that it’s now that time of the year to renew! We are grateful, as always, to everyone who has chosen to become a member, whether paying annually or as a Life Member. As we begin to apply for funding from trusts and foundations for construction costs, we need to be able to demonstrate the strength of support for the bridge from Burley residents, from neighbouring villages and towns, and from walkers and runners across the region. Membership, therefore, matters even more!
An appeal by West Riding Area of Ramblers to affiliated walking groups to consider providing financial support for the bridge has resulted in a number of positive responses. While some groups have indicated they are waiting for AGMs or committee meetings before being able to make a decision, we have been pleased to receive a number of donations which have boosted our construction bank account recently. Thanks to the Rothwell Footpath Group, Huddersfield Health Ramblers, the Morley Walking Club, and Friends of DalesRail.
Annual subs
Members who pay their subscription annually will have received a separate reminder that it’s now that time of the year to renew! We are grateful, as always, to everyone who has chosen to become a member, whether paying annually or as a Life Member. As we begin to apply for funding from trusts and foundations for construction costs, we need to be able to demonstrate the strength of support for the bridge from Burley residents, from neighbouring villages and towns, and from walkers and runners across the region. Membership, therefore, matters even more!
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Bridge design at the AGM
Our 24th Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 20 May at Burley Community Library, Grange Road, Burley in Wharfedale, LS29 7HD starting at 7.30. Following the business section of the meeting, we are delighted that Ben Aynsley, Operations Director from GHD, the company we appointed last year to take forward the final design and development stage of the bridge project, has agreed to be our speaker. Ben will provide background information about the bridge design and construction work GHD undertakes with examples of recent and current projects in the north of England including Pooley Bridge in the Lake District. He will also describe proposals for improvement to the existing Burley Bridge design, and answer any questions about the construction phase. Refreshments will be provided. All members and supporters are warmly welcomed to what should be an informative evening. |
The new Pooley Bridge currently being constructed by GHD
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Burley Bridge Hike returns!
A regular fixture for long distance walkers and runners from all over the north of England up to a few years ago, the Burley Bridge Hike is returning on Saturday 24 October. The 21 mile Long Distance Walkers Association challenge event will be our main local fundraiser this year. Coordinated as previously by John Sparshatt, long term member who served on our committee for many years, the event will start and finish at Burley Cricket Club, Grange Road which is situated in the centre of the village. After heading up Station Road to Scalebor Park, the Hike will broadly follow the original route onto Ilkley Moor and along the moor edge to Addingham Moor, before dropping down into the Aire Valley to head eastwards along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The return to Burley is across Burley Moor via Lanshaw Crags, Stocks Hill and Hag Farm Road. The entrance fee of £15 (or £20 on the day) will cover refreshments including bacon butties before the 8.00am start, and then drinks, pies and peas for all participants on finishing. The Cricket Club have also kindly agreed to open their licensed bar through the afternoon to help participants revive or celebrate completion. Booking for participants is now open at: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=6431&fbid=Y
We will need the assistance of a quite a number of volunteers to run the event. These will include help with marshalling the route at key points, providing refreshments (tea and cake) at a couple of points on the route, and helping provide refreshments for participants before and after the event. As this will be our major fundraising event of the year, we hope members and supporters will assist in whatever way they feel able to, in order to help make things run smoothly. We hope the event will attract many local walkers and runners as well as those from further afield and should generate a lot of local publicity.
A regular fixture for long distance walkers and runners from all over the north of England up to a few years ago, the Burley Bridge Hike is returning on Saturday 24 October. The 21 mile Long Distance Walkers Association challenge event will be our main local fundraiser this year. Coordinated as previously by John Sparshatt, long term member who served on our committee for many years, the event will start and finish at Burley Cricket Club, Grange Road which is situated in the centre of the village. After heading up Station Road to Scalebor Park, the Hike will broadly follow the original route onto Ilkley Moor and along the moor edge to Addingham Moor, before dropping down into the Aire Valley to head eastwards along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The return to Burley is across Burley Moor via Lanshaw Crags, Stocks Hill and Hag Farm Road. The entrance fee of £15 (or £20 on the day) will cover refreshments including bacon butties before the 8.00am start, and then drinks, pies and peas for all participants on finishing. The Cricket Club have also kindly agreed to open their licensed bar through the afternoon to help participants revive or celebrate completion. Booking for participants is now open at: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=6431&fbid=Y
We will need the assistance of a quite a number of volunteers to run the event. These will include help with marshalling the route at key points, providing refreshments (tea and cake) at a couple of points on the route, and helping provide refreshments for participants before and after the event. As this will be our major fundraising event of the year, we hope members and supporters will assist in whatever way they feel able to, in order to help make things run smoothly. We hope the event will attract many local walkers and runners as well as those from further afield and should generate a lot of local publicity.
Burley Walkers are Welcome to improve North Bank footpaths
Our walking colleagues in Burley Walkers are Welcome have recently reached an agreement with North Yorkshire County Council that gives them authority to improve footpaths on the north bank of the Wharfe. This follows five years of improving footpaths on the south bank to make them more accessible, including the installation of 17 kissing and self-closing gates, building bridges and steps, and undertaking drainage and footpath clearance. The agreement will lead to Burley working parties undertaking similar work on footpaths in the Nidderdale Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty between Clifton and Denton, including Askwith and Weston areas. We hope this will encourage more people to use the stepping stones, when they are safe to do so, in order to explore this extensive network of paths that will of course become even more available when we have a bridge.
Our walking colleagues in Burley Walkers are Welcome have recently reached an agreement with North Yorkshire County Council that gives them authority to improve footpaths on the north bank of the Wharfe. This follows five years of improving footpaths on the south bank to make them more accessible, including the installation of 17 kissing and self-closing gates, building bridges and steps, and undertaking drainage and footpath clearance. The agreement will lead to Burley working parties undertaking similar work on footpaths in the Nidderdale Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty between Clifton and Denton, including Askwith and Weston areas. We hope this will encourage more people to use the stepping stones, when they are safe to do so, in order to explore this extensive network of paths that will of course become even more available when we have a bridge.
We can get further more quickly with your help!
Trustees always welcome additional input from members and supporters as we move forward. If you want to help us build on the progress we are making – please get in touch for a chat!
Trustees always welcome additional input from members and supporters as we move forward. If you want to help us build on the progress we are making – please get in touch for a chat!
© The Burley Bridge Association 2015. The Burley Bridge Association is a charity registered in England and Wales (1163568)
