An Easier Way To Scarborough Fair

One of my favourite places anywhere on this beautiful Isle of Albion is the stretch of Yorkshire coastline at Bempton Cliffs, between Bridlington and Scarborough. One of the best ways to enjoy this landscape is by walking the cliff-tops along the Headland Walk. This walk is usually pretty accessible – though I did run into a couple of problems this year – unfortunately this is not the story for much of England’s coast . Admittedly coastal erosion and unseasonably wet summers – which are great for rapid plant growth – have not helped, but coastal walkers in England routinely have to face barbed wire, farm machinery, cattle, unkempt paths and even live ammunition. Thankfully all this is about to change…

New maps have been released that detail 2,748 miles of coastal paths that Natural England is preparing to open up to shoreline walkers.

Picture from The Guardian

The Guardian reports…

Maps drawn up for the marine and coastal access bill, which is expected to become law in November, trace a vivid red and green snake round the 2,748 miles of mainland coast. Each of the red sections is either private, inaccessible or dangerous.

The audit by Natural England and shoreline councils is part of an effort to make all of England’s coastline accessible to walkers. “There will be 10 years’ work to be done before we can walk the whole way,” said Paul Johnson, coastal access manager for Natural England, “but we reckon that the first rights of way between major seaside towns could be in place by 2013.”

Which is great news for walkers 🙂

Apart from the landscape and bird-life Scarborough is also close to my heart because of the beautiful ballad, Scarborough Fair. This song appears to derive from an older (and now obscure) Scottish ballad called ‘The Elfin Knight‘; a version of which appears on Kate Rusby’s 2005 album, ‘The Girl Who Couldn’t Fly’.

Scarborough Fair was itself made famous by Simon & Garfunkel…