In South Abingdon, three new trails take you on adventures through parks, playgrounds, and local neighbourhoods. These are called the South Abingdon Nature Trails. They’re like treasure hunts, but instead of finding gold, you get to see wildlife, play pavement games, have a picnic on the way, and stop off to have a go on the swings or slides of a local playground.
Bug, bird and bat boxes, community planters, carved animals, wildflower areas and pavement games are being added to make the trails more interesting.
There are three trails to choose from. You can scuttle on the hedgehog trail, flutter on the dragonfly trail, or waddle on the duck trail
All the trails have special markers to help you find your way, and there’s a map you can print out from the website https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/vale-of-white-horse-district-council/sports-and-activities/follow-the-new-south-abingdon-nature-trails/.
Where the trails follow the same route for a bit you will see two or more colours
You can start your adventure anywhere you like! But there are three starts near Hogarth Place just off Preston Road.
The trails were created by the Vale of White Horse District Council to encourage people to enjoy the local area, become more active, and learn more about the natural world around them.
How about spending our money on filling potholes instead?
These trails were created by the Vale DC. Roads are the responsibility of Oxfordshire CC.
Oxfordshire County Council Highways Department responsible for potholes said that they have had their budget cut. I was surprised to learn that every pothole was costed and filling material measured.
One thing that gets me is the state of the monk on the Tesco roundabout. Apparently it has been treated for rot but it is still demonstrating a split personality. It is a shame as it is a familiar feature of Abingdon.
What has been costed is patching. Patching is a temporary fix, not a repair. Patches have to be replaced quite frequently. Repairs require more than a quick scrape and a dollop of asphalt.
I have always been amused by the “monk”. The monks of Abingdon were Benedictines. Benedictines don’t wear knotted cinctures; friars (Franciscans and Dominicans) do, the knots symbolise the threefold vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. The Benedictine Rule enjoins obedience, stability and conversion of life.
Just saying…
I think this is a brilliant idea and hope it will be used by many and be both informative and enjoyable for kids to engage them with the outdoors instead of being glued to a deviceof some description.
I like the trails too – excellent for kids of all ages!