Upgrade to cycle/footpath through the Exchange Lands

 Work has begun on an upgrade to the access route that crosses the Aldersbrook Exchange Lands (the old Sewage Works site) from east to west. This is part of the National Cycle Network and the work is to bring it up to the accepted standard for this network.

The resurfacing is from the entrance to the site which is adjacent to Aldersbrook Riding School and continues across what we knew as Redbridge Field (no longer a field and not belonging to Redbridge!). It ends at the hedge which separates much of the old field from the Wilderness area of the Exchange Lands as there is already a hard-surfaced track from this point, which crosses the Redbridge/Barking Link Road (A406) and finishes at Wanstead Park Road, Ilford.

Track resurfacing work on 20th March 2011

As I have been particularly interested in this area of land since before even it became part of Epping Forest, I was consulted by the City of London Corporation in anticipation of the work, and visited the site with Assistant Ecologist for Epping Forest Andy Froud (see here) to establish where the materials for the work would be laid and what particular areas required special attention to avoid damage.

I visited the site today at the request of Epping Forest to check whether things appeared to be complying with our requests, and am happy to report that they seem to be. Surfacing material has been stored for use in the two areas that I suggested would do least harm, and so far I can see no significant damage to plant life or other ecological issues. It is a shame that the track needs to be as wide as it is - it seems to even be exceeding the usual three-metre width, but it is anticipated that horses will be using this route for access to the Roding Valley Way. The edges do eventually blend in anyway, as can be seen from the work done on the Roding Valley Way between the south end of the Exchange Lands and Little Ilford.

My concern continues to be that the final link in the RVW in this area looks almost certain to be across the Wilderness area of the old sewage works when - as I've said so many times before - a perfectly adequate alternative could exist. Ah, well - cycles reign supreme!

Whilst I was in the Exchange Lands, I had a look at the recent work done by the Wren Conservation Group in opening up the access to the path along the bund which separates the northern section of the site from the Roding. This has taken two of their practical work sessions, and although I wasn't available to lend a hand, I was asked for any hints that I could give before they started. I can say that they seem to have done a fine job, and with use the access point from near where the fresh-water outfall into the Roding is may provide a good footpath. Let's hope that it remains that - a footpath. My only slight niggle with the way the work was carried out was that an amount of cut bramble was chucked on the Dewberry plant that had suffered from machine-cutting not long ago. It wouldn't have done any harm, and would soon have got swallowed anyway, but it looked unnecessarily untidy so I cleared it away. That's the second time recently that I'd gone unprepared for practical work and ended up getting brambled. The last was a similar circumstance relating to the clearing work done in the Grotto!

Paul Ferris, 20th March 2011