A POPULAR 15-mile network of woodland routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders in the Tamar Valley has been restored after winter damage.

Restoration work on stretches of the Tamar Trails has been completed after a kind donation of stone was made to West Devon Borough Council by Greystone Quarry.

Despite battling some terrible weather over the spring, contractors Landmarc and Dart Fabrication have restored the trail where there has been flooding and erosion, including cutting various new gulleys to help drainage and reduce the creation of mud which made some stretches almost impassable. Contractors cleared the worst sections of mud and added new stone.

Muddy Tamar trail path with steep natural bank and trees on side before being repaired
Muddy Tamar trail path with steep natural bank and trees on side before being repaired (West Devon Borough Council)

A new galvanised bridge has also been installed on the Bedford Trail, replacing a wooden bridge which was badly weathered. This was supported by Tamar Community Trust to reinstate steps on the steep hillside and means the Bedford Trail can again be used below Bedford Sawmills carpark. 

The council’s 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 said: “Aggregate Industries and our Greystone Quarry were pleased to support this initiative.  We’re keen to support local communities. It's satisfying our aggregate donation benefits the community and visitors.” 

Marcus Evans, of Landmarc and Dart Fabrication, said: “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.”