RESIDENTS are being asked to generate ideas to put the finishing touches on a user-friendly Lake District bridleway.

The route, which runs along the old Coniston branch line of the Furness railway, has been given a special surface to accommodate wheelchair, push-chair and cycle use.

Area foreman for the Lake District National Park Authority David Bulman said: "The project has been running on and off since 1996, and interest has been growing all the time.

"So what we'd like to do now is ask the community how they'd like to see the scheme finished off in terms of signage, display boards and seating."

The 19th century railway track, which last carried passengers in 1958, was heavily overgrown with dense shrubs and wayward trees which had to be cleared before the new path could be prepared.

As well as unruly vegetation the teams of workers and volunteers who have worked on the rail-side revamp have had to deal with leaking lakes which were drenching the bridleway.

Following work, the waters were plugged and replenished with fish and two angling platforms have been built to accommodate disabled anglers.

Other measures including stock proofing, tree planting and woodland management have also been carried out to improve the conservation value of the area.

Eventually it is hoped the path will be extended to include other sections of the nine miles from Broughton-in-Furness to Coniston, as the first mile-and-a-half section has proved to be popular with local residents.

The authority has worked closely with Cumbria County Council which owns the surrounding land while national park voluntary wardens, Friends of the Lake District and the Environment Agency have also contributed to the project.

April 10, 2003 12:30