THE Pennine Way - the oldest and longest British long-distance walk - celebrates its 40th anniversary on April 24 2005, and for one Nelson lady, the occasion stirs strong emotions.

Sylvia Franks is former secretary of the North-East Lancashire Ramblers' Association, and she was heavily involved with planning and setting up the Pennine Way. With her husband, Sylvia helped map part of the route and lay marker cairns over Ickornshaw Moor in the 1940s.

She recalls the day the walk was opened in 1965. She says: "The ceremony was at Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales, and it was a fantastic feeling.

"A couple of thousand people came to the opening. You could see crowds of them coming over the hill.

"Forty years on, it still brings a lump to my throat."

The 30th anniversary was marked by a special event at Malham Tarn, and though she is currently recovering from a hip replacement, Sylvia says she is determined to take part this time as well.

The idea for a British long-distance walk began with an article in the Daily Herald in 1935. Journalist and rambler Tom Stephenson called for a "Long Green Trail" up the backbone of Britain, modelled on USA's Appalachian Trail.

But it took nearly thirty years to make that dream a reality.

There was no "right to roam" at the time, and landowners often refused ramblers access.

A crucial moment came in 1948, when Tom led a group of influential MPs - including Blackburn's Barbara Castle - on a walk along part of the route.

This convinced the politicians to back the proposed Pennine Way, and in 1949 the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed, paving the way for public access to footpaths.

But this was only half the battle - large parts of the planned route had no clear marked path.

"At the start, 35 miles of paths had to be built from scratch," Sylvia explains.

"I did a lot of walking at that time, checking the routes, and helping to build marker cairns."

On April 24 1965, the Pennine Way was finally opened, watched by 2,000 people.

Sylvia says: "Tom's hand was aching by the end of the day - so many people had shaken it."

Today around 150,000 people use the Pennine Way each year, with 3,500 completing the full 268-mile distance.

Steve Westwood, Pennine Way officer at the Countryside Agency, says the Pennine Way holds a special place in ramblers' hearts as a "once in a lifetime" walk.

He says: "As well as being the oldest long distance walk in the UK, it's unique in terms of how remote it is."

The Pennine Way starts in Edale, Derbyshire, and rises to 2,947ft (893m) at its highest point at Cross Fell, in Cumbria before ending at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. Ramblers have to rely on map and compass to navigate through some of the more isolated sections of the walk.

It takes most people 16-19 days to complete, but some hardy souls have managed it much quicker. The record for the walk is held by fell runner Jos Naylor, who managed it in just three and a half days.

Plans for the celebrations are still shrouded in mystery, but are likely to include a series of commemorative walks.