RAMBLERS have been invited to visit a small East Yorkshire village on their way to a nationally-renowned walk.

A new information board has been put up on the village green in Shiptonthorpe, near Market Weighton, to encourage walkers to come to the village on their way to the Wolds Way, a 79-mile trail.

Shiptonthorpe Councillor David Larder, who researched and designed the information board, said: "I hope that it will make a lot of people stop and realise that this village is a great place to have a drink and then set off to walk or cycle into the Wolds to see some of Britain's most glorious countryside."

He said he had worked on the board voluntarily, with the support of Shiptonthorpe Parish Council, as a gift for the people of the village, where he has lived for the past three years.

Coun Larder will not be standing for the local council elections in May as he is leaving the village in June. His wife, Linda, has accepted a job as marketing director for the Sheffield radio station, Hallam FM.

The multi-coloured board shows significant Roman finds made in Shiptonthorpe and the excavation of the Roman Road that passed the early settlement. It also includes the history of the village over the last two centuries, some of it based on the memories of those who have lived all their lives in the village.

The Grade I listed church, famous village folk and local wildlife also feature on the board. In the centre there is a map and a chart of distances to show Shiptonthorpe's location.

Coun Larder said: "It's amazing how you can get anywhere from this central point in a very short time."

The project was funded by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, East Yorkshire Tourism, Shiptonthorpe Parish Council, the Wolds Way Project and a local guesthouse, Robeanne.

Coun Larder has written a booklet for The Weighton Area Regeneration Partnership about how a community group can go through the process of getting money and making, researching and designing public boards in their area.

Updated: 09:57 Monday, March 24, 2003