Recently, working on two successive days, a total of ten Friends’ members joined up with Chorley Council’s three Rangers, and several volunteers from Yarrow Valley, to work on seven sites in Astley Park. As a result, a lot of progress was achieved to make using the park by visitors more enjoyable and safer.
First, pictured below is a view looking eastwards towards the town centre, showing just part of the now cleared path between the ‘Green Pond’ and ‘The Beach’ in Great Wood. Here two drains crossing under the path were unblocked and then the whole length of the path, some 50 metres long, was scraped of years’ worth of leaf mould and mud.
Next, at ‘The Beach’ (so called because the bank of the Chor shallowly slopes down to the river’s edge) new steps were put in place to aid access.
Further east along the path a new knee rail was installed close to the bridge used by Parklands School pupils. The rail provides a warning barrier of a steep drop into the river at this point.
Further east still an additional knee rail has been added, to again ward off walkers getting too close to the river’s edge.
Next a hole in the riverbank, caused by a leaning tree, has been securely filled.
The old toilet block behind Pet’s Corner was removed by the Council last year as the disused building was being vandalised. However, the site of the building was still being misused and a source of littering due to it being concealed by overgrown shrubs and tree branches. These have now been cut back opening the site to view. The green cuttings visible in the background will be removed by Council staff; the leafless branches in the foreground will be turned into a dry hedge by Friends’ volunteers.
Last, but not least, a drainage channel has been installed across the path alongside Rectory Close in the northeast corner of the park. This well used route has long been rendered muddy at this spot as ground water seeps out of the adjoining banking.
All in all, two days’ good work!
Friends of Astley Park 