After a few years without good access to this area of the Park, April 12th 2019 saw the official opening of our new boardwalk along the river in Bluebell Wood, Ferry Meadows. Our volunteers cut a ribbon with pairs of shears and staff and volunteers raised hearty cups of tea to toast the occasion.

The boardwalk was created with funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund through the Nenescape Landscape Partnership scheme and with the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and Nene Park Trust staff. 

Construction began in autumn 2018 with the substructure built by external contractors. Then between January and March this year, a team of 22 volunteers worked together to fix the non-slip Gripsure (UK) decking boards to the 752m long structure. They used a total of 42,000 screws and spent 1209 volunteer hours.

The boardwalk is accessible to walkers, runners and those with pushchairs. Some mobility scooters will be able to access the boardwalk but it is worth noting that there is uneven ground approaching the boardwalk at either end. We have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from our visitors who have already been exploring the boardwalk, enjoying the river views, springtime bluebells, sounds of woodpeckers and the multitude of butterflies. The volunteers involved in the project were thrilled to be part of creating such a beautiful and accessible walkway.

Matthew Bradbury, Chief Executive of Nene Park Trust says: “The much overdue replacement of the Bluebell Wood boardwalk has been a triumph for our volunteers. My sincere thanks to all involved”