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NEWS
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Goodbye to Millennium Heritage Trail purple waymarks.
Top right is a current public footpath disc as used throughout the Vale of Glamorgan along footpaths where Valeways have been involved with installations, maintenance work or the production of walk leaflets. At the bottom is the purple disc, with a Roman M in silver used to mark the route of the Millennium Heritage Trail (link to MHT page) since its opening in 2001, and usually attached to a stile or waymark post in conjunction with a public footpath disc. The purple discs have been found to fade rapidly in strong sunlight and they are currently being replaced with a new, more durable design (top left), which indicates explicitly the route of a public footpath forming part of the Millennium Heritage Trail. At the end of May 2007 the purple waymarks along most of the Trail have already been replaced and it's anticipated that the task will be completed by July.
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FOOTPATH NEWS
The Article 33 work is drawing to a close now. Apart from four kissing gates, the remainder is just minor works which will be completed in short order. Not that there is any danger of running out of work of course, the maintenance list continues to grow day by day and there is still the totally new work for the year.
The regular core of volunteers are still plugging away, along with a few occasional ‘guests’ - New Deal placements and work experience students but we still have room for more workers. Those of you that attended out 10th Anniversary festival of walks may have gained an idea of how much work is involved in keeping routes in good condition so hopefully some of you may be inspired to join work parties to help us in this. This is the best time of year to start and you may notice that we have added some weekend work parties over the next three months for those of you that can’t make it midweek. So no excuses – get out there! We don’t bite, honest. |
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NEW INCLUSION OFFICER
Thanks to a successful funding bid from the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Valeways are now the proud owner of a new Inclusion Officer.
The particulars are still being finalised and the new inclusion officer will be introducing themselves in the very near future.
Our inclusion project, which aims to develop and increase the number and diversity of our volunteers, commences on Monday 5th June. In particular, the Inclusion Officer will be increasing support for people with learning difficulties and various disabilities. |
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NEW LEAFLETS
Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Valeways trustees Graham Woosnam and Barbara Palmer, we are pleased to announce our newest leaflets:
Border Vale Walks
Valley of the Stags
Haunted Field
East Cowbridge
And the best part? They can be yours for the price of a SAE envelope! Special thanks also to Chris Jones-Jenkins
RISKS TO WALKERS FROM CATTLE
A report in the August 2003 edition of Country Walking magazine
has drawn the attention of walkers nationwide to the need
for care when crossing land occupied by cattle. A 45-year
old woman suffered severe injuries after being trampled by
cows which had calves with them when she was walking with
her dog on a public footpath in Cumbria. Farming representatives
participating in the Valeways partnership have urged that
this message should be communicated to walkers using paths
in the Vale of Glamorgan.
It is most unwise to walk with a dog through fields where
there are cows with calves. The cows are wary of intruders
and will instinctively react to strange dogs as a potential
threat to their calves. They can easily outrun a human
and because of their speed and strength the consequences
can be grave. Even in the absence of dogs walkers should
proceed as quietly and unobtrusively as possible, giving
the calves a wide berth and never passing between mother
and calf.
Herds of beef cattle can cause anxiety because of their
boisterous interest in walkers crossing their fields and
their apparently aggressive antics. Larger and noisier
groups of walkers are more likely to provoke this behaviour.
According to farmers it is much more typical of the Continental
breeds which are now prevalent than in the traditional
British beef breeds. They advise walkers that generally
the best response to is just to proceed slowly, calmly
and quietly to the field exit. On the positive side it
is noticeable that cattle in fields with popular footpaths
are more inclined to ignore walkers. Some farmers report
that this can have the benefit of making cattle easier
to handle.
Walk & Clear
As always, volunteers meet at Tesco’s, Port Road, Barry at 9.30am.
June 6th & 27th
July 4th & 18th
August 15th & 22nd
September 5th
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VALEWAYS AGM 2002-2003
On July 24th the Annual General Meeting was held in the convivial
surroundings of the visitor centre at Llanerch Vinyard. The
choice of venue highlighted the mutual interest of the proprietors
and Valeways in the development of sustainable rural tourism.
Chairman John Cushen welcomed a widely representative
audience of members, volunteers and guests. As well as
the formalities of reporting Valeways’ financial
position and its achievements over the last year the meeting
provided insight into the long term benefits of the unique
Barry-based organisation since its foundation in 1996.
A vital factor of Valeways’ success is the constructive
involvement of landowning and farming interests. This year’s
guest speaker, Rory McLaggan of the Merthyr Mawr estate
gave a thought provoking presentation which challenged
the stereotype of the typical farmer being naturally obstructive
and antagonistic to footpaths and walkers. Local farming
representatives pointed out how much more could be achieved
by mutual understanding and respect than by confrontation
and raised some specific issued which could be usefully
addressed in the coming months.
Jane Hutt AM, Health Minister in the Welsh Assembly and
a guest at the meeting praised the achievements of Valeways’ easy
walking scheme which provided health and social benefits
for groups of people who would normally be excluded.
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