Council News

01 September 2008

Volunteers Needed to Walk Trails

Wrexham Council’s Rights of Way team are looking for volunteers to walk the various routes promoted on their Walks website.

The number of trails has grown rapidly over the past few years and it has now reached the point where there are more walks than the staff can check every year.

The idea is that the volunteer follows the route as published on the website and has a good look at the stiles, gates and bridges encountered. If there is a problem with these or with anything else that affects the paths, the walker contacts the rights of way rangers, who will arrange for any necessary work to be carried out.

The walks, which are in the best countryside the county has to offer, vary between 3 and 15 miles, with most about 5 miles. The volunteer will be given a print-out of the walk directions and a coloured map of the route wherever possible. The walk does not have to be done on any particular day, so you can wait for good weather. It can be a one-off exercise or the volunteer can ‘adopt’ it and do it every year.

See the “Self-guided walks” at www.wrexham.gov.uk/walks for most of the routes involved. There are other walks, particularly in the Ceiriog Valley, listed on the “Walk leaflets and books” page that are covered by the same scheme. If you don’t have internet facilities, please call at the Crown Buildings rights of way office to see the routes.

Cllr David Bithell, Lead Member for the Environment and Transport, said:

"There are many residents and visitors who enjoy walking and who know the routes very well. I feel sure that a good proportion of them would love to help the rangers by telling them about problems that they have encountered and we look forward to working with them in the near future”

Contact us at rightsofway@wrexham.gov.uk or telephone Charlotte Flett on 01978 297156.