Those of us who make our way to enjoy the Woodland Trust Walk from the main gate of the King George V playing field probably don't give too much thought about the track called Townfield Lane, at least not until we get further along behind Crossfields and have to go in single file! It's usually at this point when you remember how pleasant the track has been up to that point but how many people know that the lane is unadopted, which means that no one owns it. Unfortunately this also means that no one is officially responsible for it!
This is where a local unsung volunteer comes in. Ken Barnes who lives at the second to last house on the lane has been maintaining the lane in good condition for the last 30 years. Over that time he calculates that he has used 90 tons of stone to maintain the quality of the surface shown in this recent picture. Ken worked for many years at Hockenhull Farm and this enabled him to borrow a tractor to help lay the stone, but nowadays Ken has his own business and has to use his wheelbarrow for the eight to nine trips it takes to distribute the stone along the length of the lane. In addition to doing this 2 to 3 times a year so any potholes remain small, he trims the sides of the hedges 3 to 4 time a year to keep the brambles at bay.
When CW&C put up a signpost directing residents and visitors to Tarvin's excellent Woodland Walk, Ken notice the greatly increased footfall along Townfield Lane and thought that it might be time to ask for some assistance in the maintenance of the lane as an officially recognised route to the Woodland Walk. CW&C's unexpected response was to take down the sign and so people not in the know are not were not informed about our local beauty spot!
Tarvin is rightly proud of its woodland walk and, therefore, should we as a community take some responsibility for access to it? Let us have your views editor@tarvinonline.org
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