[Talk-GB] Wychavon Way Revised Route

[Richard Fairhurst]

Steve Brook wrote:
> Worcestershire County and Wychavon District Council have 
> revised the route of the Wychavon Way long distance footpath 

Oddly enough that echoes a mapping problem I had last week. We went to the
Llyn Peninsula, north-west Wales, and set out to map part of the Wales Coast
Path. 

There was previously a Llyn Coastal Path (and a Ceredigion Coast Path, an
Anglesey Coast Path, and the best-known one in Pembrokeshire). The LCP took
an inland route at certain points where it would be more enjoyable and
varied for the water. The new WCP seems determined to take the closest route
to the coast - even if that involves walking along an A-road footpath for
several miles. There are new WCP signs in some places, but by no means
everywhere; many of the LCP signs remain, but are badly faded and haven't
been renewed for several years; and there are brand new, expensive kissing
gates and stiles that clearly mark an intention to send the WCP along the
coast... but as yet, no signs to accompany them.

Basically, it made me hanker for following the NCN through Basingstoke or
Newport. Anyone who has ever tried to follow the NCN through Basingstoke or
Newport will realise this is not a commendation.

I took the view that we should "skate to where the puck's going, not where
it is now", and have mapped the WCP as a 95%-probability route following the
coast through the new gates, even when the signs haven't gone up yet. It
seems almost certain that the LCP will be subsumed into this; that no-one
will choose to walk the LCP rather than the WCP in this area; and I
therefore haven't preserved these inland braids. But I'm aware a case could
be made for the opposite!

cheers
Richard



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