THE Pennine Way - which cuts through a huge swathe of Craven - celebrates its 50th anniversary in April.

It was the UK's very first National Trail - there are now 15 - and remains one of the most famous.

"It is a critical part of our social history," said trail officer Steve Westwood. "It’s easy to forget that it’s not that long ago normal folk couldn’t go onto the moors - there was no rights of way, no access."

The creation of the Pennine Way followed the infamous Kinder Scout trespass in 1932 where some access campaigners ended up in jail.

The idea for the long-distance footpath was conceived in 1935 by rambler and writer Tom Stephenson, who was inspired by the Appalachian Way in the United States.

He had written many articles calling for greater access to the countryside and his suggestion for a green trail echoed the national mood. Britain was in the midst of the Depression and the wild moorlands provided a place of escape.

However, it took until 1965 for the Pennine Way to become a reality. It was on April 24,1965, that more than 2,000 people, including Mr Stephenson, gathered on Malham Moor to celebrate the completion of the footpath.

The trail is 268 miles long, stretching from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in Northumbria, and passes through three national parks (including the Yorkshire Dales), The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, two national nature reserves and 20 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Local highlights include Pinhaw Beacon, Malham Cove and Penyghent.

"It is a magical trail," said Steve. "But walking the Pennine Way is a huge undertaking and can change people's lives. It is a powerful thing to do and there is a big sense of achievement."

It is estimated that 200,000 people tackle at least part of the route each year, but only a small minority complete the whole length.

It generally takes between 16 and 19 days to complete it in one go - but, in July 1983, runner Mike Hartley finished it in a record-breaking two days, 17 hours, 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

Even competitors in the gruelling Spine Challenge - a non-stop, winter mountain marathon along the route - have come nowhere near his time. The current record-holder is Pavel Paloncy, who finished in four days, 14 hours and 45 minutes.

"More and more people are running the Pennine Way," said Steve, a Spine Challenge competitor. "However, the bulk of current users are middle-aged men."

For ornithologists too, the Pennine Way has much to offer as its varied habitats make it one of the best places in Europe to observe birds like breeding waders.

"The Pennine Way will go on forever, whatever changes there are in the political landscape," said Steve.

To mark its 50th anniversary, BBC Yorkshire has joined forces with BBC Two to produce a documentary series.

In it, polar explorer and ocean diver Paul Rose swaps the seas of Mozambique and the ice caps of Antarctica for the dales of Yorkshire and the fells of Northumberland as he follows in the footsteps of Pennine Way walkers.

“I've spent my life leading science expeditions to the most remote and challenging places on earth. Yet right here on my doorstep is the Pennine Way - a world-class challenge," said Mr Rose. "It was a delight to discover that it is such a beautiful, powerful and demanding adventure. Exploring the Pennine Way has been surprising, a privilege and huge amounts of fun.”

The series will be shown first on BBC One in Yorkshire, starting on Friday, April 10, followed by a network broadcast on BBC Two.