A GROUP of volunteers have taken on the arduous task of re-establishing Coleford’s long forgotten footpaths to make them accessible for the entire community.

Coleford Welcomes Walkers (CWW), which is part of the national Walkers are Welcome network, have set about rediscovering, mapping, clearing and way marking the public rights of way in the parish that have become inaccessible over time.

And, having compiled an extensive record of all the town’s rights of way and the work to be done throughout the year, they have now cleared every one of Coleford’s footpaths and stiles.

The hard work began early in the year when the volunteers donned their walking boots and waterproofs and set off - with their four-legged friends in tow - to walk the 33 footpaths noted as being in the parish of Coleford.

“Many were familiar, but there were quite a few new discoveries and gasps of ‘well I did not realise you could see that from here’ or ‘wow did not know that existed’,” explained group chair Debbie Sturgess.

“There were also several expletives best translated as ‘oh dear’ when met with deliberately blocked footpaths, impassable footpaths from overgrown vegetation, broken stiles, litter, graffiti, missing Public Rights of Way (PRoW) finger posts and broken/missing way marker posts.”

The volunteers had soon gathered enough photographs and information to compile into a spreadsheet, which they thought would make for a “good record of achievement”.

The group then contacted the Gloucestershire Public Rights of Way Officer for their patch, Jeff Wheeler, who Debbie said has had the “patience of a saint” in responding to their queries.

As a small volunteer group, the members are not insured to use power tools - though there are plans to complete official training in the future - meaning there have been “lots of blisters and scratches” picked up in clearing paths using only hand tools.

As well as clearing the paths, they’ve also repaired styles and erected way markers, maps and finger posts on many of the routes.

They recently completed their biggest project yet, to way mark and install kissing gates on a footpath that runs through Bells golf course.

Four “rickety” old stiles were swapped out for new gates with the help of contractors, and maps were installed at each access point.

Debbie explained: “It is fair to say that the golf club owners are not keen on walkers crossing the golf course, however it is a right for members of the public to do so, and in working together it is now easier for the landowners to enforce the correct routes being followed.

“The golfers’ cards will next year show all the footpaths, so they too know where people will be crossing, making it much safer.

“This has been an excellent example of a local landowner, CWW as a local group and the PRoW Officer all working together to benefit all concerned.”

The group have had the cooperation of Forestry England and Forest of Dean District Council to complete the works, while county councillor Carole Allaway-Martin has supported the project with funding from Coleford’s Highways Local Fund and the council’s Build Back Better scheme.

Debbie added that the volunteers find that while the work has its “frustrations”, they feel they are making an important contribution to the community.

She said: “When members of the public stop them to say thank you, when elderly residents make reference that they can now access an old route they used to walk with ease because a kissing gate has been installed, and when they can see the visible impact of their work - it makes it all worthwhile.”

The national Walkers are Welcome network aims to support accredited towns in promoting the health and wellbeing benefits of walking, and the boost that welcoming walkers can give to the local economy.