Restoration work on stretches of the Tamar Trails has been completed after a kind donation of stone was made to us by Greystone Quarry.
This work is part of our ongoing commitment to protect the natural environment and to support the health and wellbeing of the Borough’s residents.
Despite battling some terrible weather over the spring, contractors Landmarc and Dart Fabrication managed to restore the full width of the trail over various points. Where there had been some encroachment, along with cutting various new gulleys to assist with drainage and hopefully avoid accumulation of mud on the trails.
Some stretches of mud became almost impassable on the trails, resulting in lots of muddy shoes at the weekly Parkrun. Contractors cleared the worst sections of mud, adding some new stone which will help with keeping those sections in good condition.
A new galvanised bridge has also been installed on the Bedford Trail, replacing a timber structure which had surrendered to weathering. With some excellent work from the Tamar Community Trust to reinstate steps on the steep hillside recently, this means that the Bedford Trail can once again, be enjoyed down below the Bedford Sawmills carpark.
Our Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Tony Leech, said: “It’s great to have these trails repaired and back in good order so that residents and visitors can enjoy the benefits of running and walking in the outdoors, especially as the weather is now finally showing some signs of better weather.
“I’d like to thank Greystone Quarry for a very generous donation of stone and to the Tamar Community Trust for their hard work in reinstating the steps. We always appreciate how our community works together for the benefit of all.”
Greystone Quarry donated 60 tonnes of stone from their site in the Tamar Valley to contribute towards the much needed path improvement works.
A Spokesperson for Greystone Quarry, said: “Aggregate Industries and our Greystone Quarry were really pleased to be given the opportunity to support this local initiative. We are always keen to support our local communities and the restoration work on stretches of the Tamar Trails provided us with a perfect opportunity to get involved! It's very satisfying to know that our aggregate material donation has been used to benefit both the local community and visitors to the area.”
Marcus Evans, owner of Landmarc and Dart Fabrication says: “It was a pleasure to work with the Council to get these Trails back up to a good standard. We needed to employ quite a range of machinery to deal with the challenges of the gradients on the Bedford Trail to successfully install the new bridge. Whilst dealing with the main muddy sections of trail, our team were able to give various other sections of trail some attention which should improve the experience for visitors.”
The Tamar Trails are a 25km network of recreational routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders in the Tamar Valley. To find out more please visit: www.tamartrails.co.uk
