Keeping things moving…………..

Bam Nuttall, the flood gate engineering contractors, completed their work at the start of Spring 2025 but almost immediately Stockton Borough Council began closing sections of the walk in order to undertake footpath repairs and general maintenance work. This has not made it easy for our team of volunteers to access the area in order to continue our own maintenance. However, we will not be defeated and we have demonstrated a determination to work around and between these contractors so that we have been able to plant significant quantities of bulbs and plants together with our usual efforts directed at strimming, trimming, pruning, lopping and mowing (thank you Alastair Powell for the masses of large plants you kindly donated from your own private gardens and thanks also to Sainbury’s for kindly donating huge numbers of bulbs).

Peter Walker, one of our lead volunteers, has been spearheading a team who are concentrating their efforts towards the Worsall Walk pathway. For those who are familiar with that path you will understand the enormity of this project and we anticipate this could take up to two years before the entire pathway is completely accessible and free from obstructions. The path has been closed for several years due to collapsing boardwalks which made access extremely hazardous and during the intervening period the whole length of the path has become overgrown and has seen parts of the path washed away as a result of intermittent flooding.

Initially, Peter’s team has been focussing on re-building the two boardwalks and which are currently being prepared in modular fashion so that they can be transported from the off-site building yard (thank you Anthony Ahearne for allowing us to commandeer so much of your garden area) and then installed on top of the existing boardwalk framework. Peter, Geoff, Steve, Jim and Anthony…… you are all to be congratulated on your carpentry/joinery skills.

Peter and his team of Worsall Road “extension” volunteers initially spent countless hours in early Spring clearing the overgrown pathway and preparing the groundwork for the boardwalks to be installed. This will be a true labour of love and we cannot underestimate the hard work and effort which is being directed towards making this much loved walkway safe and completely accessible once again; as mentioned earlier, we anticipate this project, from start to finish, may take up to two years.

As at mid-September 2025, Peter’s team have made amazing progress with boardwalks and bridges and their efforts have been much appreciated by the number of walkers who are beginning to explore this route once again after so many years when is was totally inaccessible. The nights are cutting in as we approach Autumn so Peter and his team have been endeavouring to make hay while the sun shines and often working three nights each week whilst it is still possible to do so.

PHASE ONE COMPLETE

At the beginning of May 2025 we were contacted by Clara from Systra Landscape Architecture who help clients achieve harmonious landscape designs that minimise harmful impacts and maximise sustainable benefits for people, places and the environment.

Clara had discovered our riverbank efforts and offered to lead a small team of Systra volunteers to improve the very stark concrete appearance which now accompanies the new floodgate walkways and steps. The team worked for a day and left us feeling very inspired to continue the artwork which they produced.