Saturday the 5 November 2011 saw the grand opening of the Kingswood All Ability Path by Steve Baker MP. It was a crisp dry day and the autumn leaves were a fantastic array of oranges, browns and golds as the morning air cleared everyone’s lungs and set us up for the weekend ahead.

There was a great turn out for the opening. District councillor Katrina Wood (who is also the Chairman of the Amenity Land Committee at Chepping Wycombe Parish Council (CWPC)) was there to help with the proceedings, as was CWPC Chairman Jeff Herschel and many of the ward members of the Parish Council. Katrina and her team on the committee have worked hard over the last couple of years to bring this project to fruition with the help of the grounds team Graeme, Darren and Jonathan.

A large group of us joined them on a 500 metre circular route that has been created to allow wheelchairs and less able bodied people to enjoy the woods in all their glory. And glorious it was… there are notice boards to explain the flora and fauna found in the woods and a bench to sit and reflect half way round the route.

The path starts at the entrance to the woods by the recycling area in Cock Lane and finishes in the picnic area next to the recycling site.  It’s easy to access and so there’s no excuse for anyone not to park up on a Sunday morning, do their recycling and then walk up an appetite for the Sunday roast with a walk around the path.

After the opening, we trotted along to the Council Offices for tea, coffee, and chocolate snacks – the remainder of these snacks found their way into my coat pocket, for extra energy after  my morning coffee the next day following my run around the woods.

Article by Sharon Herron,  photographs by Niamh Herron.

An abridged version of this article first appeared in the December 2011 edition of Village Voice. To see it in its original format please select the relevant edition from the Village Voice pages of this website.