A recent work party undertaken by members of the Hodnet Footpath Group [HFG] means a footpath through the fields in the centre of the village is now accessible to a wider group of users. This is a quiet/pretty route that runs from the road next to the former Squirrel Pub to the road bend by the entrance to the Tennis Club, all as featured in part of the Hodnet Walks 2 leaflet.

For some time now the hedge by The Villa (at the Tennis Club end of the route) has been heavily overgrown and impeding walker access, but this has now been cut right back and the path cleared and levelled. In addition, the various stiles on the route which were not previously ‘dog friendly’ now have dog gates/access provided.

As ever, dog walkers should keep their animals under control when walking (and on leads in fields with livestock present), and clear up any dog faeces.

HFG undertakes various works in and around the village to improve local footpaths, and welcomes others who may wish to get involved. See their webpage for more details and you can also follow them on their Facebook page. 

Having recently directed their efforts toward the Chirbury end of the Parish Marton P3 have been back in their own area continuing with a programme of stile improvements which they started last year. This particular access improvement was sorely needed as the existing stile was not only on its last legs but was also on a steep slope meaning getting over it was incredibly difficult (as demonstrated by Brett, left). Gerry, the P3 coordinator, had negotiated with the landowner replacing all the stiles in this area with metal kissing gates and this job, along with one more gate, are two of the last needed to complete the work. The route they have improved takes you above Marton Crest woodland and affords exceptional views over Marton village and the surrounding countryside as you can see in the photograph below.  

Back in 2014 Shropshire Council was approached to help form a P3 group down in the Wheathill Parish in south Shropshire. Since then the group has gone from strength to strength under the coordination of Will and have greatly improved the Rights of Way network in their area. Will is now moving away from the Parish and the group have decided to wind down their efforts. Over the years Wheathill P3 have contributed nearly 600 hours to access improvement undertaking tasks such as stile replacements and repairs, installing field gates, kissing gates and bridges, and vegetation clearance. The group have also put in hours of surveying and waymarking to make sure that their network is in good order and more recently have helped with the Shropshire Way Main Route. Their last hurrah was to replace a stile with a kissing gate to make access easier, the photos show before and after. Many thanks must be given from the Outdoor Partnership department for the years of hard work and dedication that the group has given to maintaining and improving their footpaths and bridleways for many people to enjoy into the future.  

Selattyn & Gobowen P3 have been an active group since 2017 undertaking various jobs around their parish to repair and improve their footpath network. The group’s coordinator, Mike, reported a problem with a stile at Glopa Wood, not far from Oswestry Racecourse. The stile is on part of the promoted route Oswald’s Trail so it seemed sensible to try and upgrade it to a gate for easier access and Mike was able to negotiate this successfully with the landowner. A workday was organised for early March but the job was not without its difficulties as the ground stepped down significantly where the gate needed to go. This issue was overcome by installing a step against the gate and dropping the level of the second hoop by re-drilling the holes for the connecting bolts. The workday was a great success and many thanks to Mike, Mick, Chris and Barbara for undertaking the work, this is a well-used path and their efforts have made this boundary crossing much easier for users.

The Pontesbury P3 group recently carried out works at Poles Coppice with help from a couple of the volunteer rangers, to help make a drop from the smallest quarry on the site safer. Rather than install steel fencing similar to that already in place on the 2 larger quarries it was decided to erect a dead hedge at the top of the drop as this would be less intrusive and more in keeping with the feel of the woods.

The material for the hedge was cut from the base of the large quarry where stumps of previously cleared trees were coppicing, this had a secondary benefit helping to keep the open spaces free from trees.

This material was then taken up to the smaller quarry where it could be used to construct the dead hedge which when finished helps to demark the quarry edge and prevent people and animals walking too close.

Oswestry Tigers

The Oswestry Tigers have had a busy winter, carrying on their partnership work with Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and are due to work with Wrexham Borough County Council shortly too. The Team has completed a tree thinning job at Llynclys Common for The Shropshire Wildlife Trust, thinning out the Ash to allow more light into the area to encourage the diverse range of flora found on site. The team also recently installed five steps for our Outdoor Partnership’s Service at Ellesmere Arboretum, improving access to a section of slippery path that was inaccessible to some walkers in wet weather.

Shrewsbury Hornets

The Hornets have begun working with The Forestry Commission England at Haughmond Hill, most recently the group went and helped to remove 10 education posts from one of the trails, and they’re booked in to return soon to help dig them back in on the new route. The group have also managed to lay another section of hedge at the Canal and River Trust’s Montgomery Canal, they’ve worked hard clearing out the section, burning off the brash and eventually were rewarded by being able to pleach the new section of hedge and intertwine it into last year’s work.

Craven Arms Alpacas

The Alpacas have continued working with Caring for God’s Acre removing saplings at Longden Cemetery and stacking them for removal. The team have also started on a new job for The Forestry Commission at Mortimer Forest, removing a semi-circle of young Birch trees that are impeding on a 360 degree viewpoint at the top of Vinnals. Work continues on the Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s sites, at Mason’s Bank and Nipstone where the team have been removing conifers and stacking them into habitat piles or burning off the brash, depending on the site.

Bridgnorth Zombies

The Zombies have continued working with The Forestry Commission at the Wyre Forest, removing more sections of old deer fencing from around areas and saplings that no longer need protecting from the deer. The team have also worked on our Outdoor Partnerships site at Eardington, working to thin out Birch saplings from the flower meadow. The saplings were encroaching onto the meadow and shading out the ground flora, so the team have cut them back, burnt some of the brash off and stacked the rest into habitat piles for wildlife.

Shropshire Council owns and manages some of Shropshire’s most iconic, accessible and interesting countryside sites and the extensive network of footpaths, bridleways and other Rights of Way, providing so many beautiful places to walk, cycle, ride and enjoy the great outdoors.  Government funding for Country Parks, Heritage Sites and Rights of Way management has recently halved and is under further pressure over the next few years. In response, Shropshire Council has put an ambitious plan together to raise income to help ensure that the future of these wonderful sites, and one of the largest Rights of Way networks in the UK, is safeguarded for everyone’s enjoyment.

You can join Shropshire’s Great Outdoors for just £3/month.  To find out more, how to join and the benefits just click on the image.