Once again, kudos to the Derbyshire Countryside Service. They have been working on the Breadsall Greenway (NCN 672) to address long-standing flooding issues which have caused significant damage to the Greenway surface.
They’ve addressed the flooding with trench improvements and other approaches, have resurfaced the worst sections of the Greenway and, as a side effect of the work, removed some very restrictive barriers.
Showing the extensive flooding before work started. Given the amount of water it is little surprise that there was extensive surface damage.
Good to see the restrictive K-frames waiting for collection and disposal. These have always caused an awkward obstruction to conventional bikes and have made the Greenway a “no-go area” for those with unconventional bikes or other vehicles.
At the junction between Lime Lane and Brookside Road the previously awkward combination of large, locked gate, horse step and K frame restriction has been completely removed.
North of the Lime Lane / Brookside Road junction (the newer portion of the Greenway) there has been a lot of work done on resurfacing to repair the problems caused by water flowing down the trail. Previously a section (the steepest section) was given a sealed surface and there have now been more extensive resurfacing efforts. Hopefully this proves resilient for the next flooding event.
The surface repair work seems to still be in progress although mostly complete.
It is understood that further barrier removal work is planned in March/April so that all the restrictive barriers (with the exception of the one at the junction with Mansfield Road – The Paddock – which is within Derby City) will shortly be gone.
Excellent work again by the Derbyshire Countryside Rangers (part of Derbyshire County Council) who have demonstrated, with their efforts at Breadsall and elsewhere, their commitment to providing and maintaining good quality routes. This is despite the challenges caused by persistent storms and, of course, the challenging funding situation for all Councils.