| The activity of the VPV this year has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The team carried out 4 sessions before the lockdown in mid-March. In mid-July Ramblers Central Office gave the all-clear for path maintenance teams to resume their work and since then 2 sessions have been organised – at Wootton / St.Helen parishes and Faringdon.
The session at Faringdon involved clearing the important and well-used footpath that takes the Vale Way from the town south-eastwards towards Little Coxwell. This path was used to transport large quantities from sand from the Wicklesham quarries down to the railway station in Faringdon for export. The team has spent 3 sessions on this part because it was not only badly overgrown with vegetation at the sides but also most of the path was covered by tough tussocky grass. This grass had first to be cut up into bite-sized clumps witha half-moon cutter and then heaved to the sides. The photos show the original state of the path, and how the clearance work was done and the final result. |
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