Around one hundred and twenty walkers braved the rain and wind on Sunday to join campaigners in a walk across the meadows that Bath’s councillors and MP Ben Howlett say is their favoured site for a new eastern Park and Ride.
Walkers came from across the city and as far afield as Swindon, Radstock, Keynsham and even London to take part in the mass ramble, which was aimed at showing councillors how many residents and visitors to Bath use and enjoy Bathampton meadows.
Among the walkers was well-known wildlife TV presenter and producer, Nigel Marven.
Mr Marven, whose wildlife series have aired on Channel 5 and ITV among others, said: “I’ve travelled all over the world and people often say to me how they love the entrance into Bath, but they won’t feel the same if this view is marred by a car park on the meadows.”
Mr Marven, who joined the walk beside two of the proposed sites for the eastern Park & Ride, to New Leaf Farm, which faces compulsory purchase if the controversial development goes ahead, said during the walk he had seen “a charm of goldfinches and a flock of long-tailed tits”.
“People, particularly the kids, need this green space, to be able to convene with wild creatures. This ill-conceived Park and Ride scheme will damage this lovely spot irreparably and must be stopped.”
Walkers were able to choose from three walks, one for families with young children along the new cycle path through the meadows, beside the River Avon, which has proved hugely popular with walkers and cyclists since it was opened a couple of years ago.
A second group of walkers also crossed the meadows to New Leaf Farm and back along Bathampton canal; and a third group of more than forty walkers made the long, windy walk up to Solsbury Hill, the iron age site made famous by Peter Gabriel, which enjoys magnificent views over the Avon valley and the meadows to Bathampton.
The National Trust, which owns the top of Solsbury Hill, has expressed its concern about the proposed Park and Ride which it says will adversely affect the views from Solsbury Hill and from its other walk, across the valley – the Bath Skyline Walk – which is one of the National Trust’s most popular walks in the country.
One of the event’s organisers, Pete Wardle, from the campaign group, the Bathampton Meadows Alliance, said he was delighted “with such an enthusiastic turnout, and the fact that walkers had come from all across the city of Bath and beyond”.
He said several of the walkers who had not visited the meadows before expressed shock at the scale of the proposed development and how it would dominate the whole Avon Valley.
One person who joined the walk to Solsbury Hill said it was such a special place, ‘we don’t want this view to be ruined’.
Another said: “This is part of Bath, why would the council want to bring more cars here?”
Fitness instructor and Batheaston resident, Jane Braham, who led one of the three walks, said: “It was wonderful to have all these walkers, some of whom had never visited the meadows before, seeing for themselves what will be lost if this scheme goes ahead.”
Ms Braham runs the Walking Fit Club which has over 1,000 members and a choice of 45 brisk one-hour walks that she leads.
“The walk across Bathampton meadows is one of the most popular walks that I do, and people can’t believe that planners can even think building on them and losing this invaluable green space.”
