After bridge failures and landslides, we could announce in early January that all routes through the Dells were finally accessible! BUT sadly Storm Eowyn has taken its toll and now Bogs Mill bridge and Kates Mill Bridge are out of action due to significant tree damage. City of Edinburgh Council have been notified of the dozen or so large trees and they will deal with them in-time. Meanwhile please take extra care – especially when its windy.
Work has been carried out at Belford Bridge to repair the metal walkway and resurface the nearby blue bridge. The metal section is due to get the rest of its new plating and steel reinforcements in early February. This and the work in the Dells on the pipe bridge and Redhall Mill bridge represents a significant investment and has been funded by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Parks and Greenspaces team.
We have also raised funds from Paths for All to upgrade the permanently flooded tunnel at Redbraes n St Mark’s Park. This will include drainage work, new surfacing and a handrail. Work is expected to be complete by the end of March. So hopefully no more volunteer session bailing out the pathway.
Maintaining the rest of the path network is no small task. The autumn leaf fall and mud build-up have been tackled by dedicated teams of volunteers. Between October 1st and the end of December, 33 tasks were completed, totaling over 1,200 muscle-aching hours of sweeping, raking, and path maintenance.
Meanwhile, our patrol volunteers have been recording walkway usage, and the results are in. Interestingly, the number of walkers has leveled off after years of steady increases. However, the numbers of runners and cyclists continue to rise
