Village relieved as visitor surge fails to appear

Residents of a Yorkshire Dales village plagued by traffic congestion breathed a sigh of relief after an expected influx of visitors at the weekend failed to materialise.

Burnsall, near Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale, had become a hot spot for day trippers during warm weather, with hundreds using a large private car park beside the River Wharfe.

The facility closed last week following incidents of anti-social behaviour, prompting fears visitors would instead park irresponsibly on village roads and verges.

However, on Saturday as she observed the calmer than expected riverside area, resident Victoria Foster, said: "It's wonderful, it's really lovely, it's as it used to be when I was a child."

Ahead of the weekend, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority warned parking in Burnsall would be "extremely limited and finding a legal parking space will be very difficult".

Police officers, enforcement teams and National Park rangers were deployed to help keep roads clear, while a smaller 50-space public car park remained open.

Burnsall is home to about 80 residents, many of whom spent part of their weekend monitoring parking and behaviour around the riverbank.

Resident Ed Williams said villagers had been anxious about how the parking changes would affect the area, but were delighted by what they saw.

He said; "We are overjoyed. This is as it should be, with people having a picnic, enjoying the beautiful scenery, enjoying the weather and each other's company.

"It's beautiful, absolutely superb. I'm relieved, very happy and emotional."

Fellow resident Sam Mason said the village had been braced for disruption.

"We were quite apprehensive about how this weekend would turn out, but it was nice to see a sensible number of people enjoying themselves," he said.

"It had become chaotic and wasn't a pleasant place to be on a sunny day. The changes seem, so far, to be a really positive thing for both the village and visitors."

Despite the calmer weekend, concerns remained over safety in the River Wharfe, where several fatal incidents and rescues have occurred in recent years.

Just weeks after the death of schoolgirl Palwasha Akbar, three teenagers saved the lives of a father and son who had got into difficulty in the water.

Meanwhile, Azaz Mohmed Chanda, 33, drowned in summer 2024 while playing on an inflatable dinghy with relatives.

Williams warned visitors not to underestimate the water.

"The river looks peaceful and shallow, but there are deep sections everywhere," he said. "People can be out of their depth in no time, and the water is freezing."

A meeting to discuss water safety in the area is due to take place on Friday.

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