Trust volunteers have been out every Wednesday helping to keep the footpath clear of overgrowth between Bramford and Badley. Our aim has been to keep it trimmed to allow walkers to walk the path in shorts without being stung by nettles and attacked by brambles. With the growing season coming to a (sad) end we believe we have achieved this aim and now plan to do even more next year.
Bramford. Getting ready to trim the footpath
Each week volunteers trim the Gipping footpath and its edges to keep it ‘walkable in shorts’…. That’s our aim. We also do some Himalayan Balsam pulling too.
During the October floods two footbridges at Badley were swept away and another dislodged necessitating a long footpath deviation around the bridges. Trust volunteers reinstated all three footbridges. Then one of the footbridges we reinstated floated away in the late May flood. Volunteers reinstated it again and have temporarily tied it to a nearby tree. A more permanent solution will be done soon.
Starting from Badley lock and meeting up to the area mowed the week before at Creeting St Mary. The result is a nice wide path between Hawkes Mill and Badley. Walkers have made their own way around the two 'missing' bridges. Both are in good condition and ready to be reinstated. The Trust hope to do this before the end of the month. Makes a lovely walk from Hawkes Mill / Creeting to Roots and Shoots garden centre with its Caffe. With thanks to them for allowing us to use their car park to get our gear to the river.
Trust volunteers completed hedge trimming in February and moved on to footpath ground clearance and maintenance, working at Bramford, Paper mill, Claydon, Great Blakenham and Creeting St Mary
October 2023
Trust volunteers have been busy reinstating the towpath alongside the river downstream of Bramford road bridge. The now open reinstated towpath with lovely river views runs parallel to the established footpath some 100ft away from the river.
The final part of the Pipps Ford lock restoration work was completed in August 2023, leaving it ready for lock gate installation. To do this the lock was pumped dry by damming off the river in front and behind the lock. More info here.
Three RGT Trustees met up with MPs Tom Hunt and Dan Poulter together with Suffolk Council representatives at Baylham on 7th July. They are all very supportive of the work the Trust is doing and are looking at ways to further support us. Copy of Dan Poulter FB page and more volunteer path maintenance work below.
Most of the volunteer workload during the summer months consists of river clearance work (above) and path clearance work (below). Click on photos to enlarge.
Dr Dan Poulter cutting the ribbon to officially open Howard’s Bridge on 20th May with the Trust’s Chair John Warren and the Trust’s Restoration Manager Ian Petchey each giving speeches to the 75 attending guests.
Trust volunteers are now working on keeping the footpath clear of nettles and brambles, suitable for walking in shorts, between Bramford and Badley Lock. The footpath between Bramford and Badley will be cut once per month. Volunteers recently worked on the Bramford to Claydon section.
The Trust have named the footbridge at Baylham ‘Howard’s Bridge’ after our much loved and missed volunteer Les Howard who passed away two years ago. Les was instrumental in the early planning and fund raising stages of the Bridge. At the Trust’s naming ceremony on Sunday 30th April, Les’s wife and family attended with Trustees and volunteers. The footbridge in now open to the public with the official opening by Dr Dan Poulter being on Saturday 20th May. All welcome.
Trust volunteers have been working hard, making improvements to the towpath at Claydon. Around 1km of the path has been reinstated and improved.
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