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Do you walk or cycle the Rodwell Trail? Would you like to be involved in helping to make this wonderful green route across town even better?
‘Friends of Rodwell Trail’ is a group of people of different ages and interests who have one thing in common: we want to see real improvements to the Rodwell Trail. We signed our constitution in October 2005 and our newly elected chair is local resident, Bernard Franklin, following on from David Carter who chaired the group from the outset.
Working together, the Friends and the Council's Parks team submitted and received a First Round Heritage Lottery bid to stabilise, preserve and monitor the structure of the castle and make it safe for public access.
The £23,100 development grant will enable a full specialist survey to be carried out to establish the extent of works and costs necessary to stabilise and make the structure safe for visitor access. The survey, including a laser scan of the castle and cliff face, is programmed to be completed by August 2010. This will then be submitted along with a conservation and management plan to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the second round application that will be assessed in December 2010. If successful, lottery funds will be released to enable the restoration works to be undertaken during 2011.
The Friends supported the Connect2 project in the People's £50 Million contest and, as a result, a new bridge will be reinstated over Newstead Road. The purpose of supporting the project was to secure funding to improve walking and cycling routes throughout the UK and this has been successfully achieved on a local level so that the Rodwell Trail will be extended over a busy road into and out of the town centre. To find out more, visit www.thepeoples50million.org.uk.
The Friends helped to turn the World War II Anti-aircraft Emplacement (above Asda) to a rest and observation area using Heritage Lottery Funding, a grant from the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership together with work in kind carried out by the Borough Council's Parks Section. The improvement plans included putting railings along the top of the gun emplacement, screeding the surface and installing new seating.
The Friends worked with the Borough Council to link the ornamental gardens to the Grade II-listed Sandsfoot Castle by reinstating a wooden footbridge. The Friends donated £5,000 towards the £16,000 project.
S.R. Crumbleholme Ltd were appointed to carry out the work and now a stunning new bridge is a central feature within the gardens. The uprights and handrail of the replacement bridge have been built of oak to complement the natural landscape. The infill to the handrails are stainless steel wires and the footway is formed of softwood profiled deck panels.
Members of the Friends group are working to produce a children's quiz sheet to keep younger residents entertained as they wander down the Trail. As well as being fun, the quiz sheets will have an educational aspect to them and will be distributed to local schools for field trip purposes.
To help raise the profile of the Trail, the group successfully secured a lottery bid for a whooping £25,000 that has already funded the 'Rail to Trail' leaflet; the leaflet was unveiled in July 2006. The tri-fold leaflet was distributed to homes throughout the borough via the local Advertiser as well as to various outlets, such as Tourist Information Centres and local libraries throughout the town and beyond.
You may have noticed the new 'responsible dog owner' signs on display at the entrance points onto the Trail. Irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs are a concern along the Trail. The group is working with the Dog Warden, the Parks Section and other responsible dog owners to help tackle the problem. Grab it, Bag it and Bin it is our motto!
Interpretation panels have been positioned along the Trail and a children's quiz leaflet has been prepared by local Friend, Anne Kirkland, to make the Trail even more interesting for all the family to enjoy. These too been funded by the Heritage Lottery grant.
Copies of Cyril the Squirrel leaflets are available from Weymouth's Tourist Information Centre.
Back in the autumn of 2007, Carnival Queen, Laura Stone, joined the Friends of Rodwell Trail and King Charles Cavalier Spaniels for an enjoyable walk along the Trail to promote and raise awareness about the importance of clearing up after your dog.
The group carries out spring and summer litter picks along the Trail collecting a number of bags of rubbish on each clean-up operation. Look out for posters along the Trail advising when the next litter pick will take place.
The Ridgeway Centre is helping to litter pick along the Trail from Old Castle Road to Ferrybridge on a weekly basis. This work is having a significant impact on keeping the Trail clean.
