A flood barrier with sandbags was erected next to St Helen’s Mill in Abingdon this afternoon. There has been a lot of rain over recent days. Light showers are expected on Christmas Day.
Last year over Christmas the Ock Valley walk was closed because of flooding. The water was swilling over the driveway at St Helen’s Mill.
It must be about twelve years ago that Peter Green, then a councillor at the town council, managed to get the main path put along the Ock Valley Walk. Before then there was just an undefined mud path. Peter also organised groups of volunteers to regularly cut down the Himalayan Balsam.
The Green Gym have taken over the volunteer side of things. They were out at the weekend tending to the trees they planted two years ago, and cutting back brambles.
They were picking litter. I spoke to Lucy who regularly picks litter as she walks down that way. She was amazed that the Green Gym had filled so many blue and clear sacks. But then they did go beyond the main path into the undergrowth and under the bridges.
The Green Gym were also relaying the secondary path with shredded Christmas Trees. It is good that this material is getting recycled but it won’t last like wood-chip.
The main path is not their responsibility but is something the council will have to tackle when they feel the time is right.
Some people have started to ignore the barriers that are still in position either end of the Ock Valley Walk.
The water no longer covers the path, and so there seems no real danger. My guess is that somebody in authority has just forgotten to remove the barriers. But it does allow the birds a few more days without human disturbance.
News reports did say that 2012 was the second wettest year since records began.
2013 has started dry so hopefully that record will not be broken this year. The River Thames has returned to normal levels leaving the sandbags high and dry.
The town centre end of the Ock valley walk looked very different at the weekend. Willow trees had been cut severely and the sheltered housing on the other side is no longer screened by trees.
The contractors not only slashed the trees but also churned up the ground into a horrible mess.