Pensford Local History Group is working on a project to document local walks which reference many of the interesting buildings, landmarks and countryside across the Pensford and Stanton Drew area comprising part of the communities’ historical legacy. Each walk will be fully mapped and documented and be available in hardcopy and on-line format for anybody to freely access and use. The objective is to produce professionally designed booklets which will stand the test of time and benefit not only the whole community but also visitors, through increased interest in the area’s varied rich heritage and history. As research progressed, it was surprising how much there was to learn about the Chew Valley.

The Heritage Walk project has attracted the attention and support of The Pensford, Publow and the Stantons Community Trust. Andrew Hillman, Chairman of the Trust said,

“this is a fabulous project in which the members of the History Group have invested considerable time for the wider benefit of our communities. This is another example of the type of project the Trustees like to support so that ideas and energy can become reality and deliver something positive. In this case the Trust is funding approximately £1000 for the initial print run which will enable the leaflets to be available in time for the 1968 Great Flood commemoration on Sunday 8thJuly”

Publow with Pensford Parish Council website will include the downloadable versions of the walks as well as additional material relating to the history and heritage of the area.

Andrew Hillman went on to say,

“financial support has also been received from some local businesses and these will be acknowledged in the booklets. Any extra sponsorship that is received will enable the History Group to provide additional publicity and signage and possibly extend the project into others areas of the Chew Valley. It is hoped that other villages will be encouraged to develop their own walks, to create a network across an area rich in heritage and history.”

Three circular Heritage Walks are planned, starting from Pensford:

  • Pensford village
  • Pensford to Stanton Drew
  • Pensford to Woollard

Each walk is different and offers residents and visitors the chance to enjoy the local countryside and learn more about the area.

The cheque presentation L-R Therese Tyson, Hilary Cox, Lyndsay Cooper, Chris James ( Project Leader). Photo © Ros Astey.

The booklets are available from Pensford Post Office, The Miners Coffee Shop, The Rising Sun, The George and Dragon and the Travellers Rest, The Hollies B&B aswell as other outlets from early July 2018, to coincide with the commemorations of the Great Flood in 1968.

 

If you wish to see the full detail of the walks, please use the link below which will take you to the Publow with Pensford website page for the Parish walks, it also has a link to pdfs of the leaflets.

http://www.publow-with-pensford-pc.gov.uk/pc/parish-walks/