Improving the access on your site for visitors is very important. Without good access, people won’t be able to appreciate the site or receive the benefits from it and you will lose the public and community support that is vital to the long term future of your green space. Before starting to improve the access on your site and beginning any construction work, be sure you know what you are doing and have the skill, the manpower and the money to finish the task. BTCV have a series of excellent booklets on practical access tasks (see section 8.1 for BTCV’s address).
It is essential to provide safe, easy access to your site. Existing paths may have to be improved to prevent erosion and to make them more comfortable for special needs groups or elderly visitors.
Keep your path on level ground as far as possible. Keep it clear of wet, muddy areas unless you are building bridges or boardwalks. Remember, these require a good deal of skill and expertise because of safety and legal implications. So get expert advice before starting.
Avoid routing the path through sensitive wildlife habitats or plant communities. But ensure it takes visitors to interesting sites and lets them see a wide variety of birds, butterflies, flowers, mammals and trees.
Basic path management involves keeping an existing track clear of overhanging branches, mowing verges (without damaging wildflowers), and removing stones, and litter.
If you want to construct a more substantial path, you first mark its route with pegs and string. Dig to a depth of about 15 to 20 centimetres, then flatten the soil with a pummeler, roller, or your feet. Scatter gravel to a depth of about 10 to 12 centimetres over your path. Leave a camber (i.e. a higher centre) to let water drain off. Then cover the path with wood chippings about three centimetres deep. It will look attractive and natural, and it will be soft and comfortable to walk on. On wet surfaces you can put waterproof sheeting beneath the stones and chippings to stop them sinking into the ground.
Boardwalks are raised paths make from planks of wood, covering very damp areas of a path and preventing visitors from getting their feet wet. Wet boardwalks should be covered with wire netting to ensure firmer footholds. If your boardwalk is fairly high above the ground or crosses potential hazards such as streams, hollows, or hard surfaces, you will need to enclose it with a safety fence.
| You will need to put steps on steep slopes. Steps should be no more than 30 centimetres high or they will be difficult for some people to climb. They should be incorporated into stretches of level ground so that people are not climbing all the time. You start by digging a flat step on the slope. Then place a wooden plank vertically between the top and bottom levels . Support the plank with two stobs driven into the ground on either side. The step is then covered with a surface of well-packed gravel to ensure stability. Unless you have step-building experience you should get expert advice because of the need for steps to be both durable and safe. |  |
Fencing is another task you will probably need to obtain advice about. Fences mark boundaries and keep people and animals away from areas of danger, environmental sensitivity, or where there is no access agreement. The most attractive fences are the traditional post-and-rails variety. They blend well with the natural landscape. If your fence is to keep out livestock you will probably have to use post-and-wire. If necessary, use sheep, deer, and rabbit netting to protect your trees and shrubs.
Seats will enhance your site and provide visitors with a place to rest and enjoy it. They should be put at places with good views, in tranquil surroundings, or the top of steep slopes. Seat design can range from smoothed tree trunks and the bases of old telegraph poles to more ornately carved structures with reclining backs, rooves, and tables. They can be incorporated into picnic sites.
Do as much as you can to ensure visitors with special requirements enjoy their visit to your site. Paths should be made as level as possible and ramps provided to give wheelchair-users good access. Viewing points can be created on flat ground with sufficient room for several wheelchairs to assemble in safety.
Scented gardens can be created to enable blind people to identify plants by their fragrances. Touch tables along paths or in covered areas with objects such as tree bark, sheep’s wool, old nests, acorns, beech nuts, hazelnuts, and pine cones provide visually-impaired visitors with opportunities to test their knowledge of natural history.
Paths can be routed through areas where blind visitors are challenged to identify bird species by listening to their songs. Many wildlife centres now have signposts and interpretation panels in Braille.
