Work has begun to clear an old railway line which will get a new lease of life as a heritage trail in Gedling.
Network Rail sent workers over to start clearing the old colliery line behind the former Gedling Station building, which will allow work to eventually begin on creating a new Gedling Heritage Way, linking footpaths across the borough and taking walkers past some of the area’s most historic sites.
The Heritage Way would follow the former GNR track linking it to Netherfield Lagoons in one direction, whilst also providing a through route to the new Chase Farm housing development and Gedling Country Park and on towards Lambley Dumbles.
Plans to also transform the former Gedling Station building into a heritage centre are also moving at pace.
A committee has been set up and are progressing with plans to use the site on Shearing Hill to house a ‘Tolkien Tea Room” for walkers and cyclists using the new trail also have space for community and youth groups to use for meetings and activities.
Francis Rodrigues, who is chair of Gedling Youth Club Management Committee, told Gedling Eye: “We have just submitted a lottery grant application, which if won, will pay for a number of surveys that need to happen so we can make the building safe for public use.”
A crowdfunding site has also been set up to help support the station project.
You can donate funds here: https://www.gofundme.com/restoration-of-gedling-youth-amp-community-hub/donate?pc=wd_md_donate_r
WE ALL HOPE ON WILLOW CRESCENT YOU ARE ACTIVELY GOING TO BUILD A HIGH FENCE TO PREVENT VANDALS AND TRESPASSERS ALIKE? IF NOT I WOULD CANCEL THE STEAM AND THINK WITH MORE WITH YOUR HEADS BEFORE YOU CONTINUE
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT.
What steam are you talking – or, rather – SHOUTING about, JB?
So this route is no longer being mothballed for a future tram extension?
This line should be kept back for a possible tram extension. We do not need a “heritage trail”.
Agreed! The line should be use for tram extension rather than “Heritage trail”
The photo accompanying this article shows workers clearing every scrap of vegetation from the site. While I understand them clearing brambles, saplings and other vegetation from the central part likely to be used for the ‘heritage trail’, what is the rationale for clearing the trees at the side which would provide welcome shade for users as well as preserving some limited habitat for wildlife. Is this going to become yet another sterile Tarmac track regularly dosed with glyphosate that I have so often seen imposed under the guise of ‘improvement’?