Local residents of Trevor may have noticed machinery that has been working in the woodland near to the community centre. A much desired new path is being created in Rhos y Coed which will link together the Community Centre in Trevor to the Canal near Postles Bridge. Many residents have been hoping for a path through this woodland for a number of years and are pleased that their wishes are coming into fruition.
The path will provide a direct link for the community to the World Heritage site though a former industrial area where nature has taken over and woodland has naturally regenerated. The new route has been christened ‘The Clinker Path’ as it features a large clinker boulder beside the canal, a dramatic reminder of the industrial past, there are also several smaller clinker boulders within the woodland. Clinker is the waste product from the smelting process in the iron industry.
The giant meteorite like large clinker boulder may also be easily mistaken for a tree root plate and many people will have passed by without understanding the significance of its existence. The plan is to clear the vegetation around the clinker and provide some interpretation and a bench for quiet canal-side contemplation. Initially sections of the path will have a base surfacing which will be allowed to settle for 12 months, after that a top layer will be applied. There will also be some mitigation tree planting 3 saplings for every mature tree that has been cut down to enable the path to go through the woodland.
‘Our Picturesque Landscape”
This new path has been made possible by the Heritage Lottery Funded project ‘Our Picturesque Landscape’ (OPL) which centres on the landscape of the Dee Valley and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site. It takes the theme of inspirational journeys that have been, and continue to be, a feature of the area which is cut by the canal, Telford’s A5 and the River Dee. The five year project will invest in the resilience of key visitor sites and engage communities in its appreciation and management while reinterpreting this rich landscape for a new generation. The story of the clinker and how it came to be where it is found today is still a bit of a mystery and the OPL team would be grateful for any help in finding out more about it.
“Llangollen Rural Community Council and The Aqueduct Community Association agreed that they are excited that the long dreamed of path in Rhos y Coed Wood is finally happening and are looking forward to being able to walk through and enjoy the woodland.”
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