Bude Walks for Health

Bude Walks for Health Route Risk Assessment Sheet

Walk Location TIC – Whalesborough Wood – Efford Down Circular Walk Date 28 April 2006 Assessment Carried Out by Ann Maskell, Julia Bryson, Richard and Michael Heryet

Hazard Who might be How is the risk Further action to harmed? controlled? control risk? Poor / Uneven All Participants – especially Walk Leaders Supported / Flanked Surface / Tarmac less mobile – those unable to raise awareness of trip by others pick feet up easily points before and during walk as necessary. Towpath near to Non Swimmers Leader awareness Raise Awareness waterside Poor movers Flanking Explain Controls Those avoiding other hazards Indicating trip points on the way

Path divider onto All participants, potentially, Leader awareness Encourage participants Multi-use path if not looking forwards. Indicating obstruction to look ahead and in advance on the way follow the route of leader ahead

Surface Change All Participants – especially Walk Leaders Supported / Flanked from Multiuse trail less mobile – those unable to raise awareness of by others to Iron Bridge pick feet up easily surface change as (Petherick’s Mill necessary. Entrance) Drop off to r.h.s. Those walking near edge of Leader awareness Encourage participants of Bridleway path / stepping to the side to Indicating drop off in to look ahead and avoid other hazards advance follow the route of leader ahead

Canal / Towpath Non Swimmers Keep to Multi-use trail Reiterate Awareness edge Poor movers (set back from water’s Explain Controls Those avoiding other hazards edge)

Narrow board walk All walkers especially those Go single file, use sticks Ask able walkers to not steady on their feet or poles assist those in need Tall grass (ticks) All walkers especially those Warn and explain what with dogs to do if you get a tick bite Thistles, nettles All walkers Minor inconvenience. Advise long trousers worn Those not too steady on their Leader awareness, Encourage all to look SWCP: Uneven feet. Those not picking up Indicate rabbit holes carefully for trip surface due to their feet enough. Those not and uneven nature of points and to pick feet rabbit holes looking where they plant surfacing in advance up. their feet. All participants walking too Leader to use Overhanging Leader awareness, close to edge of path and cutters / secateurs Brambles, Nettles Indicate hazard and hedgerow. Those with plant and fold cutting back and Hogweed provide evasive route. allergies out of way

Encourage all to look Rougher Surface Those not too steady on their Leader awareness, carefully for trip from church due feet or not picking up their Indicate change of points and to pick feet to loose stones feet enough surfacing in advance up.

Local traffic All walkers made aware Walk leaders clearly whilst walking of ‘path’ having All participants indicated for traffic along / up Church vehicular access. to see. Path All keep to one side. All use the “Green Cross Traffic whilst code”. Walk leaders VWL’s Stand in road crossing clearly indicated for preventing traffic All participants Widemouth Road traffic to see. Cross as flow until all walkers over Falcon Br. one group not ‘strung have crossed. out’ Bude Walks for Health Route Description

Route…TIC – Whalesborough Woods – Efford Down Circular Walk

Distance / Time… 4 miles / I hour 30 minutes

Suitability… Advanced Level 3

Directions

From Bude Tourist Information Centre (TIC) Car park up to Canal footpath Turn left (southwards) along Towpath Approx 200m on, Stile and Gate continue through (Note point of interest: Bird Hide to left along the way, overlooking the marsh area) to bench at Truscott’s Bridge (approx 600m). Continue on canal towpath to Rodd’s Bridge. Go through gate and turn right over bridge (Care: cars coming from both directions) turn almost immediately left onto towpath on opposite side from previous. Continue past two locks (at present disused) until you see a signpost: Coast Path via Community Woodland. Go over small Bridge then along Board Walk turn off round to right. Follow path up alongside newly planted wood for 400m. Walk through a gap in the hedge: marker on post. Bear right and continue walk to far end of field with fence posts to your left. At end you will find another hedge. Turn left and then immediately right at stile (disused) and follow beaten path over incline and then path meanders down until you get to a gap in the hedge. Go through to next field and bear right and follow path with hedge on your right. Continue to gap between Trevose View (right) and Church Races (left). Walk straight across coast road (Marine Drive) then take SWCP path to the right. Continue along SWCP for 600 –700m until you get to end of Upton. N.B. If the weather is very blustery or wet then the leader should consider turning right down road past Pindar Heights to Rodd’s Bridge and thence back to TIC via canal towpath. However, if the weather is clement then continue along SWCP to Efford Down (reverse of Efford Down extended walk). This part of the walk is very undulating and there is one steep climb. Leaders should consider halting half way for a breather if some less able walkers are struggling. At any rate, stop at top of climb to admire the view. Continue on to the Pill box viewpoint and then come back down through the gate just before the Pill box through the field in a diagonal direction coming out at a gate on the back road to the Catholic Church. Walk along perhaps stopping at the charity bookshop in the garage of a resident of Breakwater Road. Continue on until you reach the Falcon, crossing the bridge at the new crossing and return to the TIC

Points of Interest (in order along route described) – Bird hide, Information board Pethericks Mill Marsh at Truscott’s Bridge, Local Nature reserve board (on left just after Iron bridge) Efford Down (on a 999year lease from the Acland Estate handed over to Urban District Council in the 1960’s); Folly/ Compass Tower (modelled on a similar tower in Venice? Italy. Dismantled and relocated following cliff fall / landslide some years ago following this the points of the compass are now approx 7½degrees out of alignment with True North.) ; Garage full of books for charity; Church; Falcon Bridge & Hotel Wildlife Interest (Not an exhaustive list!) – General Marsh / Wetland Habitat with sightings of… Mammals: Otters Birds: Mallards; Moorhen; Willow Warbler; Sedge Warbler; Little Egret; Heron; Common Sandpiper; Lapwings; Canada Geese Invertebrates: Bronze Beetle (on Dock plants); Glow-worm; Speckled Wood; Orange Tip and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies Plants: Pond Sedge; Meadowsweet; Hemlock Water-Dropwort (Poisonous); Cuckoo Flower/Milk maids/Lady’s Smock; Bristly Ox-tongue; Cow parsley/Queen Anne’s Lace; Crosswort (Bedstraw type plant - only site in Cornwall) Efford Down

Wildlife Interest (Not an exhaustive list!) – Coastal Grassland / Scrub Habitat Mammals: …Sheep! Badgers Horses (at Efford Farm) Birds: Fulmar; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Robin; Wren Invertebrates: Small Copper and Copper Blue Butterfly Plants: Hartstongue Fern (in walls alongside church); Ivy Leaved Toadflax (naturalised from Russia); Fumitory (Flowers look like they’re burnt – from French Fumé), Alkanet or Henna Plant (From the Arabic ‘Al Henna’); Maidenhair Spleenwort Fern; Soapwort; Alexanders (looks like angelica plant), Spring Squill; Lady’s Bedstraw; Purple Toadflax; Birdsfoot Trefoil (squat yellow pea flower also known as ‘bacon and eggs’); Mouse Ear Hawkweed; Honeysuckle; Thrift; Slender Thistle; Spear Thistle.