Improving Accessibility into Benfield Valley

Hello everyone.

Today we started clearing the mud, leaf debris and overhanging vegetation from the access steps between Sharpthorne Crescent and Benfield Way on the west side of the valley. This access route has been neglected for a long time, left to become treacherous and unusable for many it has restricted access for many local people. We believe Benfield Valley nature reserve should be accessible to all, so today, we started clearing the access path.

In places, the mud was six inches deep! The path was slippery, and we had lost 4ft to fallen vegetation and excess vegetation on either side of the pathway. It took us two and a half hours, but with our fantastic, hard-working volunteers, we managed to reclaim the first section of the path.

Our volunteers also worked hard to clear the muddy sludge on either side of the underpass. They also began to work on widening the pathway from 4ft to 7.5ft and removed overhanging branches.

There's still a lot to do in this section of the valley, but we've made a start and we will be back to finish the job!!