Ledbury’s Town Trail started in 1847 as part of the Hereford and Gloucester Canal in. Acquired in 1873 by Great Western Railway, by 1885 it was part of the Ledbury to Gloucester branch line until its closure in 1964. In 1997 the old railway line was upgraded to the Town Trail. Classified as an ‘open space’, it needed maintaining. With the forming of Sustainable Ledbury in July 2019, we started a project group and by Spring 2020 had carried out a partial survey of the Trail. We developed a proposed maintenance plan and went to the Town Council. Owned by Herefordshire Council and we needed a Licence to Cultivate to do any work.
The Covid pandemic disrupted things but in Spring 2021, we walked the Trail with representatives of both Councils. The extent and limitations of the work that we can carry out was defined and by the autumn we had a formal agreement. Work started in October 2021.
An ongoing project, the main focus of our work has been on the stretch of the Trail between Bridge Street and Woodleigh Road. Thanks to a grant from the Severn Trent Community Fund, during 2022/3 we cleared the ditch along side the pathway, planted marsh land plants and installed an information board. The project involved over 200 hours of volunteer work.
We have done some ditch clearance and planting at the end of the path where it joins the grassland area by Lower Marcle Road. During the summer months we try to work on the stretch at the Ledbury Station end, making sure that there is enough light for wildflowers.
Work will continue for as long as we have volunteers and we continue to liaise with both Councils. The aim is to increase biodiversity, improving the habitat for wildlife and making the Trail more of an asset for the town. Response from residents has been very positive.
You can follow us on Facebook and see what our volunteers have achieved. Better still, walk the Trail and see what you think. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers.
For an overview of the STCF funded part of the Town Trail Project and the celebration we held, see the report HERE
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