Ruskin's View reopens this week after years of hard work

Ruskin's View, a key tourist attraction in Kirkby Lonsdale, was accessible to the public again from Friday.

The town council (KLTC) confirmed the news, lauding the efforts of its technical team for making the development possible.

The beauty spot was made famous by poet John Ruskin (Image: Save Ruskin's View)

A spokesperson commented: "Residents and visitors will again have access along The Brow from Radical Steps to the first viewpoint seating area to delight in ‘one of the loveliest views in England'.

"The footpath along The Brow will remain closed because of weak and unstable ground to the north end.

"Further monitoring and ground investigation is ongoing in an effort to re-open the entire footpath as soon as practicably possible.

"We thank you for your patience and understanding and hope you will continue to support our efforts."

The sign that has greeted locals for a number of years (Image: Save Ruskin's View)

Ruskin's View, made famous by the Victorian poet John Ruskin, has been closed since September 2021.

Ruskin described it as "one of the loveliest in England, therefore the world".

The closure was a result of flooding and storms eroding the embankment so much that it was seen as dangerously unsafe, with the threat of further landslip also possible.

Westmorland and Furness Council has been working closely with KLTC for a number of months, with a geotechnical engineer employed to assess the site following a meeting in May.

Read more: Future of Ruskin's View depends on geotechnical survey | The Westmorland Gazette

In the wake of the original closure, the Save Ruskin's View campaign was launched in the effort of raising £1million to fund the necessary repairs.

In a bid to help this scheme, residents in Kirkby Lonsdale agreed to an increase of their council tax bills, amounting to a total of roughly £100,000.

Such apparent love for the beauty spot was explained by Mike Buchnall, a member of the campaign group.

He commented: "For the locals, it's more about accessibility - it's quite an important link that's used a lot by locals.

"From the locals' point of view, it's the whole footpath that is important."