On Tuesday 12th September, the newly waymarked Shropshire Way Main Route (SWMR) Southern Section was celebrated at an official launch hosted by Wellington Walkers Are Welcome at Wrekin College as part of the Wellington Walking Festival.

Over the past two years, a group of dedicated volunteers from various walking groups has worked with Shropshire Council’s Outdoor Partnership team to identify Shropshire’s own 190 mile long-distance path. The SWMR will be easily identified by a new and unique orange waymark depicting the well-known buzzard logo.

Over 60 people attended the event at Wrekin College where an informative, illustrated talk about the history of the Shropshire Way from Audrey Menhinick, Chair of the newly formed Shropshire Way Association.

The Southern Section of the Shropshire Way has been established as a priority, since this follows much of the original path as conceived by the Ramblers in 1980. The path links Shrewsbury with the historic towns and villages of Bishops Castle, Clun, Ludlow, Much Wenlock, Ironbridge and Wellington. 

Much of the waymarking along the South section has been enthusiastically completed by the Parish Paths Partnerships volunteers and a huge thank you needs to be extended to them. 

Work on the Northern section is set to start in the new year.  It is hoped that having a clearly waymarked long-distance path ,along with a new dedicated webpage for people to plan holidays around the route, will entice even more tourists to Shropshire, especially as there is real enthusiasm amongst keen walkers for the challenge of long distance paths. 

The Shropshire way Association have also created a new Shropshire Way website which will eventually give all the information people need to walk the route.  For more information on the SWMR Project please email Helen Beresford.

For the last few years Shropshire’s Mapping and Enforcement Team has undertaken an annual ploughing and cropping campaign to raise awareness and the requirement for landowners to reinstate Public Rights of Way through crops.

Last year’s campaign proved very successful and the results of this year’s campaign are now available.

Additional letters have also been sent out this year later in the season as there were increased reports of Maize.

Here is an overview of the ploughing and cropping campaign and the results after 83 letters were sent out March/April 2017.

Area spread

• Bridgnorth 20%
• South Shropshire 18%
• Oswestry 16%
• North Shropshire 27%
• Shrewsbury and Atcham 16%

On Inspection

• 30 reinstated 36.5%
• 13 had no crop and /or had been put down to grass 15.6%
• 34 not reinstated 41.5%
• 6 not inspected 7.3%

Further Action

Out of the 34 paths not reinstated 22 stronger letters were sent out in June 2017

The 12 remaining were either to be reinspected as;

• Crop very young and not suitable for spraying
• Doubt as to whether grass or corn crop
• Changes in landownership.
• Ground was being actively cultivated on inspection

7 further Letters were sent out after the further inspection, some were classed No Further Action if a very close alternative had been provided or contact with landowner had obtained reassurance crop would be cleared.

Of the 29 follow up Letters Twelve landowners responded half of whom reported they had reinstated the path, others required confirmation of the route or no longer owned the land. By this time the cereal crops were being harvested so some were given time to clear the crop but warned we would be watching closely next season.

During the season a further 17 Letters were sent to landowners in response to complaints. These produced a response from 5 people who had reinstated path and others who reported harvest was imminent but they said they would make sure paths cleared next year.

In November 2017 fourteen letters have been sent to landowners as a response to complaints of paths being obstructed mainly by maize. All these landowners will be added to the database to receive a letter in March/April 2018.

At Severn Valley Country Park we are always looking for new and interesting events to compliment the beautiful 126 acres of Shropshire landscape we are situated in. Currently, we are running a successful series of Nordic Walking sessions. It is a great all-over body exercise which is easy on the joints and suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

After a successful grant bid to ‘Tesco Bags of Help’, we were able to purchase a set of 24 Nordic walking poles which has allowed us to set up a regular series of walking sessions. They have been well-received and fully subscribed. Interest in Nordic walking has even got us featured on local radio!

The walking poles formed a small part of the money awarded by the ‘Tesco bags of Help’. The majority of the funding was to rejuvenate our wetlands. The wetlands are valuable part of the site. They attract a diverse range of wildlife including herons and kingfishers. In recent years though, invasive reeds and other vegetation have taken over the area.

The funding has paid for work to remove the reeds, but also to divert the flow of the stream into the wetlands from the front of the wetlands to the rear. This will help improve water flow and the habitat for wildlife. Another positive effect will be improved views from our bird hide allowing visitors to take some great photographs.

The work has begun and a local contractor has been using a digger and dumper truck to clear the area. An interesting fact is we think that 1 scoop full of reeds by the digger would take 6 people a couple of hours to pull by hand. So, the work has taken 4 days rather than 4 weeks.

There’s always something happening at the country park. For more information about all our upcoming events this autumn, please visit our facebook page 

In early October Tim Simmons, Area Rights of Way Officer for Shropshire Council, was approached by Edward Andrews from Severn Valley Country Park to help finish off an all ability circular route at Eardington Nature Reserve.  A large section of the path had already been created by the Friends of Eardington Nature Reserve and the Probation Trust but a raised section was needed to join sections together. 

Materials were taken by excavating the nearby ground and this was then laid to form a path and topped with stone.  The excavation of the ground produced an added habitat benefit by creating a low cliff face for various insects, in particular bees.  The existing path created by the Friends of Group and Probation Trust was covered with dust to create a surface which is accessible to wheelchairs.

Other works at the site included a path to a kissing gate and various ditch and drainage work.  There are plans to extend the all ability path to the new bird hide and picnic bench over the coming months.

This project demonstrated great partnership working between Friends of Eardington Group, the Probation Trust, Outdoor Partnerships Sites and Outdoor Partnerships Contracting and has created a great asset for the reserve.  

The Southern Shropshire LEADER Programme’s Round 4 closed on the 21st July 2017.  52 Expressions of Interest were received, of which 38 were invited to Full Application (11 have been received to date).  A new Round 5 is currently open for receiving applications.  Expressions of Interest (EOI) will need to be submitted by 24th November 2017.  If your EOI is deemed to be eligible and meets the local priorities of the Southern Shropshire LEADER Programme, you will be invited to the Full Application (FA) stage.  Please contact the LEADER Programme Manager (details below) to ascertain if the idea is suitable to make an application for LEADER funding.

The Southern Shropshire LEADER Local Action Group has approved 29 projects to date with a total grant allocation of £634,788.  The 29 projects forecast to create 23 new jobs, this equates to £27,600 of LEADER intervention per full-time equivalent post.

The Programme part-funded the conversion of an existing timber frame ‘coach house’, which was being used as a storage area, into an attractive, high-quality, self-contained holiday unit, attracting tourists for short, comfortable stays year-round.  The unit is suitable for up to 4 guests, and has views across to Clun Castle and the Clun Valley, as well as proximity to walking, cycling, riding opportunities and places of local significant heritage, cultural and artistic interest. 

Businesses, groups or organisations wishing to apply for funding will need to demonstrate a benefit to the local rural economy and a connection to the landscape, which should contribute to the creation of jobs or the development of businesses in the Southern Shropshire LEADER rural area.

The amount of grant available is dependent on the outputs of the project, but a typical maximum grant will be between £35,000 and £40,000 (larger grants will be considered where significant outputs are forecasted).

To find out more about the Southern Shropshire LEADER Programme or to discuss a potential project idea, please contact the LEADER Programme Manager at Shropshire Council on 01743 254796 or email mailto:SouthernShropshireLeader@shropshire.gov.uk   Click on http://shropshire.gov.uk/funding-opportunities/leader-programme-funding for further information.

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 of joining just click on the image.