Mountsorrel Railway Launches the "Nunckley Trail"

Mountsorrel Railway Ecology Group volunteers have spent the past few weeks creating a new nature and history trail through the woodland south of Nunckley Hill.

Our volunteer ecology expert Martin Piggins has designed a circular half mile long path route that starts and ends from the road side next to the Wood Lane bridge.
       

 

All of the work has been done by our ecology group which primarily consists of young people and their parents, plus a small group of volunteers with learning difficulties from a local college who help on Tuesdays. Some of those who attend our Wildlife Warrior sessions have also helped to create the trail.

 

 Much thought has gone into the path which takes in many areas of ecological and historical interest. These include differing types of woodland habitats and the Wildlife Warrior activity areas, as well as the ruins of the old Dob Hall and the industrial archaeology of the old Nunckley Hill quarry.

 

We want the path to be accessible by all and care is being taken to make the path suitable for disabled users. The path will have touch boards along both sides to aid use by the partially sighted and we are trying to create a route suitable for wheel chair or at least mobility scooter users.

 

We plan to erect information boards at points of interest along the route and it is hoped to include Braille as well as written text on these signs. We are deeply grateful to Loughborough University who have approved a community grant to help pay for the creation of the information boards.

 

 

 

Part of the trail runs alongside the restored railway and there will be a picnic/viewing area where path users can watch the trains go by.

Our aim is to have the path open to the public free of charge on the days that the railway is operating.

 

So far around half of the route is complete with the remainder of the route partially completed. The Ecology Group need more helpers though so if you would like to bring your children along on an occasional Saturday morning, please get in touch with the project leader Steve Cramp for further details.

 

Track Laying Reaches Wood Lane

 

On Saturday December 1st project volunteers mounted a big track laying push to take the head of steel through the Wood Lane bridge and back into Mountsorrel village.
 

 

The brisk frosty weather didn't seem to deter the enthusiasm and over 40 community volunteers turned out to work on the project. The weekday volunteer team had spent the previous Tuesday and Thursday moving sleepers up to Nunckley Hill in preparation and progress was swift despite the need to carefully bend the track into the tight reverse curves on the approach to the bridge.

 

By midday track had arrived at the bridge itself and the team pushed on and ended the session at 2:00pm with an additional panel laid on the Mountsorrel side.

The Wickham Rail trolley, which is on loan to the project, became the first train to pass through the bridge and into Mountsorrel for 50 years.

 

 

In all five 60 feet long track panels were laid during the session. Laying 300 feet (90 metres) of track smashes the Mountsorrel Railway previous track laying record of 225 feet!

Passing through the Mountsorrel village boundary is another major milestone for the project and was cause for a celebration. The volunteers wrapped up the session with a track side party to celebrate.
 

 

Track laying is now three quarters complete and the hope is to reach the end of the line at Bond Lane by late February next year. This will only be possible with your help as more volunteers are needed to help the track laying process. If you can spare a few hours on an occasional Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday then please email the project leader Steve Cramp