Pathhead Path Network
Connecting The Village
A brief overview of why the path network was created
With the spring days getting longer, we thought it would be a good time to write an article about the new Path Network that we started building last year around Pathhead.
The gravel paths that now surround many of the fields that we farm around Pathhead are the culmination of over 3 years work, many days drawing and redrawing maps, countless hours spent in machines and over 4,500 tonnes of stone used.
When we first discussed the idea back in 2021, the concept of improving access was to harness our collective, often newly found appreciation of the countryside and the health benefits that it brings. This was largely due to us all having had additional time to think during the long days of covid lockdowns.
When discussing the potential project we quite quickly established the three key aims:
Encourage more people to walk in the countryside
Improve conditions for our native wildlife
Connect people with where food comes from and how it is produced
Having lived in London with our first child, I am acutely aware of the importance of having safe pleasant places to walk when trying to get a crying baby to sleep were. So for me, seeing the tracks of where prams or buggies have been pushed along the new paths gives me huge pleasure knowing that a parent’s morning has been made that little bit easier and hopefully more enjoyable by wandering around the fields we farm, surrounded by nature and fresh air.
I could ramble on about the process of obtaining consent, sourcing funding, planning the works and managing the project, however to keep this brief I will write another blog post later in the year.
There are a lot of people to thank who have been part of this project, but it would be wrong if I did not to mention NatureScot, who enabled the entire project to go ahead. Their financial support and guidance documents were essential, and their importance can not be understated. So thank you to all involved throughout the process.
When building the paths they were a stark new feature on the landscape, however as time progresses we confident that they will soon blend in as though they have always been there. With the grass verges slowly encroaching, the sharp edges will soon soften and the bright red whin dust, sourced from Markle Quarry in East Lothian will soon fade.
Now that the paths have been ‘almost’ finished for a few months, I can safely say that the feedback we have received and the number of people we meet on the paths has exceeded all our expectations. It really is brilliant to see so many people out enjoying the new paths. Hopefully this means we have achieved our first aim.
The second aim, will take time to assess. By encouraging people to walk in set areas, we are hoping that more areas will be left undisturbed for wildlife. This will be especially important over the nesting season. Over the coming years we will continue to assess levels of wildlife and hopefully we will see an improvement on species diversity along with their abundance.
The third aim is part a larger project that includes us inviting school children for tours of the farm, which we started in 2023 with two different school visits. In addition to this we welcomed over 1,000 people onto the farm as part of Open Farm Sunday which we hosted for the first time. In the coming months and years, we are hoping to find ways to use the footpaths to help inform walkers about what we are growing and how we are looking after the crops, this may involve small temporary signs in the fields or we may use QR codes to link back to our website. Watch this space…
Will