The Queen’s Award winning Cotswold Voluntary Wardens, who look after the Cotswolds National Landscape, have resumed limited work and are now beginning to address a large backlog of work from the lockdown period.

On Thursday, March 17, two wardens – Colin Dickinson and Mike Dunning – installed a new information board for the accessible route, created on Leckhampton Hill in 2019.

This is part of the ongoing work by the wardens to open up routes for those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and all terrain mobility scooters.

The route is fully waymarked using a new roundel design commissioned by the Cotswolds National Landscape.

The development of several new accessible routes across the Cotswolds is currently being looked at by the Cotswold Trails and Access Group.

New routes will be focused along the Cotswold Way National Trail to add to an existing collection of accessible routes that have been created over the past 10 years by the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens in partnership with Disabled Ramblers.

Mike Dunning, Cotswold Voluntary Warden said: “There’s no doubt this was hard work – and the digging certainly warmed us up on a grey, cold day!

"It was well worth the effort though – we’re delighted to be able to share another more accessible route through the Leckhampton countryside with people.

"Getting out and about over the last year for daily exercise has meant so much to so many people, and we really hope that this route will provide a welcome addition to people’s knowledge of local routes.”

You can download the Leckhampton route (and 11 other wheelchair friendly routes) from the Walking and Exploring page at www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk.

Further routes suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be found on the Disabled Ramblers website www.disabledramblers.co.uk/routes

The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens will resume six-person work parties at the end of the month, subject to updated guidelines.