Barrow Borough Council has announced the schedule for this year's Walking Festival, which runs from June 26th to July 25th.

It includes a whole host of guided walks that will help people understand and enjoy some wonderful local attractions.

Barrow is now leading the way with guided walks in the county, after the Lake District National Park Authority recommended they should be scrapped from The Lakes, claiming that the area's events programme did not do enough to include minority groups.

Barrow's Walking Festival will include specially designed walks with disabled access and dedicated disabled guides, and will also include a special Bay walk across the sands from Walney to Piel Island. This will be eagerly awaited, as Morecambe Bay has seen many of its famous walks threatened this year due to increased insurance premiums.

Walks such as the Cistercian Way will take in attractions like Furness Abbey and Swarthmoor Hall which are just a few of the local landmarks that will be visited as part of the festival, which is running for a second year after the resounding success of the inaugural event.

It will once again be part of Barrow's annual celebration of its maritime heritage, the Festival of the Sea. The Festival of the Sea will itself play an important part in this year's large national campaign, Sea Britain 2005.

The Walking Festival will complement another Barrow Borough Council supported initiative to get people out and about the new 180 mile Walney to Wear cycle route, which will be launched officially this summer.

Barrow Town Centre and Festivals Manager, Ann Taylforth, said: "The walking festival shows how committed we are to helping people enjoy the great countryside we have in Cumbria and in particular the interesting coastal walks around Barrow."

"We have taken great steps to ensure that the festival can be enjoyed by everybody, wherever they are from or whatever their needs may be."

Check www.barrowtourism.co.uk in the coming weeks for the Walking Festival schedule.