Thornbury Wayfinders

When footpaths get out of condition people demand that something should be done about it. Because, of course, the Footpath Fairies will fix it.

One footpath that is not as good as it should be is the path that runs alongside the Poulter Brook from the Mundy Playing Fields in Thornbury to St Mary’s Parish Church. This would be an important path even if the Biodiversity Ring didn’t follow it. But it does. It is also on the course of Thornbury Running Club’s iconic Riverbank Rollick (although the riverbank in question is not this bit, it is alongside the Severn!)

It is also the path that leads to the playing fields from the Castle Court car park and from the parish church to the cemetery.

One problem is the bridge over the stream in the Mundy’s.

As you can see the water threatens to spill onto the bank. I think the reason for this is the stones that have landed up on the downstream side of the bridge.

Obviously a job for the Footpath Fairies!

A bit further on, the problem was brambles, which forced walkers onto a slippery adverse camber – but the Footpath Fairies seem to have fixed that.

No, the Footpath Fairies cannot magic away mud. Nor can they fix the gate into the cemetery, which is new, but won’t open unless you lift it. But they do seem to have made a hole in the fallen tree the other side of the cemetery.

However, I don’t think the Footpath Fairies can cure this: