VISITORS to a scenic Lakeland village will be better informed than ever about its natural and historical features.

As part of a joint initiative by the Broughton Marketing Group and English Nature, two new information panels have been put up to guide visitors around the highlights of Broughton-in-Furness.

One will be placed in Broughton-in-Furness town square and the other outside the railway station at nearby Foxfield Close.

The boards contain colour maps and information about Broughton and the surrounding area, including nearby nature reserve, Duddon Mosses.

In 2003, as part of the Peatlands for People project, English Nature carried out extensive work at the reserve to restore the raised mire over the site and to improve visitor access.

The first stage of this has been the construction of a 200 metre-long raised boardwalk over Angerton Moss.

Assistant site manager English Nature, Martin Rhodes, said: "The new panels are extremely attractive and informative and complement the recently produced town leaflet.

"It is very exciting for English Nature to be involved in a project like this."

Liz Barker, chairman of the Broughton Marketing Group, said she was pleased that the new boards were in place.

She said: "I am delighted that, for the first time, we have a map showing the village in its context among outstanding scenery and natural resources."

Angela Knowles of the Lake District Peninsulas Tourism Partnership said she thought that the project would help attract tourists to the area.

She said: "This project is an addition to the development of the Broughton website and the new town leaflet aimed at encouraging visitors to the village, increasing their enjoyment of their stay and supporting local businesses."