Seven members of Evesham Rambling Club, together with Jock McLaren, parish path warden for Norton & Lenchwick, have been busy carrying out improvements to the riverside footpath at The Valley, Evesham.

The work included the construction of a bridge, repairs to two further bridges and the clearance of undergrowth.

Jock thanked the team for their efforts: “It has been a burning ambition of mine to make this lovely path available to walkers since I first became a warden, and you and your team fixed it in a day.”

After the club’s successful launch of the Round Evesham Walk last year, members are now busily preparing for its inaugural Evesham Walking Festival, which will take place from Monday to Sunday, July 1-7.

Alan Saunders, club secretary, said: “We are really excited that Evesham will be the venue for a walking festival.

"We are planning a series of walks in and around the Vale to suit all abilities. We want to showcase this beautiful area and help walkers to explore its history, its heritage and its flora and fauna.

"The walks will vary in length from two to ten miles and will be led by members of Evesham Rambling Club and also members of Vale of Evesham Ramblers.

"Some of the walks will be themed and will include talks on the Battle of Evesham, Market Gardening in the Vale, National Meadows Day with the Vale Landscape Heritage Trust, and ‘In Summertime on Bredon’, celebrating the poems of A E Houseman. We want to involve as many local communities and clubs as possible, and are especially keen to encourage young walkers to join us.

"The Valley is one of the venues we have chosen for a walk, so it was particularly pleasing that the Club was able to make improvements to this riverside path.”