A Friends of the Loxley Valley taskforce has cleared and tidied a section of the valley bottom footpath to keep it clear of obstruction and accessible to all.
A team of nine FoLV members spent two hours cutting back overgrowth and clearing the tapping rail for people with visual impairments.
We did the work on the “easy access” stretch of footpath between Rowell Bridge and Olive Mill.
We also cleared a branch that had fallen across the path, and tidied up dog pooh that had been left on the path.
We’ve agreed the community stewardship work with the public rights of way unit at Sheffield City Council.
We’ve said we’ll try to keep the path free of overgrowth and other obstructions. And we’ll keep the tapping rail alongside the path clear. This is so that people can feel their way along the path using walking aids.
We hope this will help the council’s footpaths team to concentrate on urgent repairs with a limited budget. They’ve recently repaired broken and missing sections of the tapping rail.
Thanks to Bradfield Parish Council
This was our first practical work session. It follows a generous £200 grant from Bradfield Parish Council that helped us pay for work signs, hi-vis jackets, and public liability insurance. Thank you!
Friends of the Loxley Valley members spent two hours doing the work on Saturday, May 28th. Our next session is from 6pm to 8pm on on Tuesday, June 14th. All members are welcome.
Friends of the Loxley Valley members working on the valley bottom footpath.
Easy Access Trail with tapping rail
The section of footpath from Rowell Bridge to Olive Mill is part of an Easy Access Trail.
The then Sheffield City Council leader David Blunkett (now Lord Blunkett) opened it in 1985.
It features a wide firm surface suitable for wheelchairs. And it has a tapping rail that people with visual impairments can use to help find their way along the path. The path features in this short video from Sheffield’s Outdoor City team…
The footpath between Rowell Bridge and Olive Mill is part of an Easy Going Trail.
This section of footpath was opened by Sheffield City Council leader David Blunkett in 1985.
Friends of the Loxley Valley taskforce volunteers after trimming and tidying the footpath. From left: Diana and Alex Conheeny, Tina Gilligan-Kubo, Joanne Lee, Richard Williams, Richard Clark. (missing are Sophie who was still busy trimming, Pete who was doing a bit of tool maintenance, and David who was behind the camera)