Staveley Riverside Project
Improving access in Staveley
This project is part of the Miles Without Stiles Scheme to improve access for people with limited mobility by upgrading rights of way. This includes people in wheelchairs, parents with pushchairs, and visually impaired people.
In a consultation we received over 150 suggestions. Staveley and Ings Parish Council suggested the Staveley Riverside route. The route runs from the Duke William pub along the path to the footbridge and then turns left along the riverside to the road.
The routes were prioritised according to criteria such as need, feasibility, facilities, proximity to public transport and cost. The project was rated second highest in the priority list. We and Staveley Parish Council wish to proceed with this project. Some preliminary work has been done to assess the feasibility and the rough cost of the project.
Updated information will be available on this website, in the parish newsletter and at parish meetings.
Latest news - 27 July 2010
Good news! The Big Spaces lottery bid for £50,000 has been successful! Thanks to Staveley Village Enterprises for putting in the application. We have also received funding from Landfill Trust, Neighbourhood Forum, Ramblers Association, Strategic Partnership, Harold and Alice Bridges Charity, Lake District National Park Authority and Nurture Lakeland.
The work will probably be done in two stages:
Stage 1 will be the construction of the bridge, resurfacing of riverside path and new exit gate and wall. This is likely to be done in May 2011. At the end of this stage the path will be fully accessible.
Stage 2, which should be completed within 2 years of Stage 1 if funding allows, will involve resurfacing the path from the Duke William pub to the bridge, widening the riverside footpath and replacing the fence with a drystone wall. We still have a shortfall of £4,000 to find for stage 1 and £25,000 for stage 2. Any suggestions for funding would be gratefully received.
Donate online
Every penny counts! Just £10 will buy a Cumbrian stone for the Staveley Riverside drystone wall. Donate online at Nurture Lakeland's Staveley Riverside donation page (opens new window).
Frequently asked questions
- The bridge is wide enough for a single wheelchair, but there is room for two wheelchairs to pass at the junction.
- There will be access from the mill yard before and after the new office block. These gates will be locked after 5pm.
- The new bridge will bypass the squeeze stile
- The footpath will need to be closed for two weeks when work takes place
Find out more
News release on 4 June 2010: Cash plea for river route
Minutes from 14 March 2008 meeting (opens Document Library)
Existing Miles Without Stiles routes
Background to the bridge's design
Staveley Mill Yard's history as a wood turning manufacturer is well known, but there are records of a mill on the site since the seventeenth century, when it was used as a fulling mill, which washed sheep's wool. The fact that there has been a mill at this location for so long is undoubtedly due to its ideal location alongside the bank of the River Kent.
With this in mind the design for the footbridge spanning the River Kent directly behind the mill yard refers to this unique history. Using woodturning as a start point, the design incorporates a flowing shape that echoes the form of a wood shaving.
Comments and suggestions
Please contact:
Sue Thompson, Ranger for Staveley
Lake District National Park Authority
Murley Moss
Oxenholme Road
Kendal
Cumbria
LA9 7RL
Tel: 01539 724555 or 07788991610 (mobile)
