This spring’s legendary Bridgnorth Walk is set to be a roaring success thanks to improvements made by organisers the Bridgnorth Lions. The event, sponsored by Gasco, is one of the most important dates in the town’s collective diary, and this year it takes place on Bank Holiday Monday 28 May.
The official website (bridgnorthwalk.org) is open until Thursday 24 May for entrants looking to join the event, which annually raises more than £100,000. The fee will remain at £15 for adults with a new £5 entry fee for juniors participating in the shorter seven-mile event based in Ditton Priors.
“We were delighted with the way the event ran in 2017,” says Walk chair Peter Parker. “But we’ve listened to suggestions and decided there are several areas where improvements can be made in terms of safety, enjoyment and efficiency, as well being better from an environmental perspective.”
In particular, a section of the route will change – instead of walking up the Ludlow road and crossing the bypass at the roundabout, this year walkers will leave Bridgnorth via Oldbury Wells, head over the bypass footbridge and down Manor Farm Lane, joining the old route at the junction with Telegraph Lane. The aim is to reduce disruption to bypass traffic and improve safety for walkers. Discussions are taking place with Shropshire Council on the potential partial closure of the B4364 towards Bridgnorth – which means the walk should be safer, though slightly longer.
“This new approach will benefit walkers, although they will have to walk an estimated extra 0.4 miles!” explains Peter. “The return will also use this route. We’ll have marshals at the top of Oldbury Wells to ensure walkers funnel safely across the footbridge and we ask for patience as we get experience of this new approach.”
