Major upgrade of the tracks through the volunteer area

Once our tracks were opened up through to Keswick Place there has been a noticeable increase in foot traffic. This has led to our Trust evaluating the condition of the tracks and bridges in our section, which were originally put in to give our volunteers access to areas to restore. We are not going to change the design, which are not official Council spec, hence the gate they erected at the Keswick end. Our focus is to make the tracks more robust by doing maintenance to the boardwalks and timber track sides, then filling the tracks with a good depth of shingle. The wet areas are, and always will be challenging. We are having issues with people bringing bikes through our tracks, despite signs indicating that bikes are not allowed. We are not anti-bikes it is just that the tracks and boardwalks are not suitable for bikes. Bikes cut up our tracks, particularly where they go through bog areas. On boardwalks the bikes end up off the boards and cut up the mud at the side. This all adds work for our volunteers. We are designing signs to be erected at the four entry points, with a colour coded map of the tracks which lines up with coloured pegs along each of the tracks. This will help resolve people wandering aimlessly around wondering where they are. Photo1: cycle damage Photo2: Boardwalk realigned and cycle damage repaired. Photo3: No cycling sign, yet still they come!