A PUBLIC bridleway is to be created in the Winster Valley, in the south of the Lake District National Park.

The route will allow walkers and horse riders to avoid an existing narrow road.

Members of the Lake District National Park Authority's Implementation Committee were told the 250-metre route - near Ludderburn - had been made possible thanks to the owners of The Wood Farm, in Cartmel Fell parish, offering to dedicate the route.

In a report, Rights of Way Adviser Charlotte Emmens said in its current state the route was usable but may benefit from some minor improvement work once the authority had taken responsibility for its maintenance.

"The route descends from the Ludderburn Road towards The Wood Farm along a walled lane. The lane runs through a County Wildlife Site and between areas of ancient and semi-natural woodland with native daffodils. It seems to have been constructed in the late 19th century as an alternative access to the property," her report added.

The proposal has also been supported by Cartmel Fell Parish Council, Cumbria County Council, the Ramblers' Association, Cumbria Bridleways Society and Friends of the Lake District, which said the route would offer a beneficial link for the public and would allow people to enjoy the ancient and semi-natural woodland in the area.