With parkrun back and most restrictions lifted, it really felt as if things were getting back to normal, so, on 11 August, I decided to risk a walk along the river. I had two aims in mind, the first of which was to check on the repairs to Woodmill. Back in May, some silly joyriders had somehow managed to crash into the side of the mill demolishing part of the wall. It had looked pretty grim when I went to inspect the damage, but since then, repairs had been made and I was interested to see how they’d gone.
Something else I wanted to look at were the new, giant litter bins that had been put in the park. There have been bins at Riverside Park for as long as I can remember. If I have litter, I always use them. Sadly, not everyone does and it upsets me to see litter in such a lovely park. Before the advent of COVID, it was mostly food wrappers and plastic bottles. These days the majority appears to be discarded masks and gloves. I’m not sure which is worse. I used to pick up litter when I saw it and deposit in the nearest bin. These days, like most people, I’m a little nervous about picking up things other people have touched, especially masks and gloves. Maybe I need to get myself a litter picking device for my walks because there is never any shortage of things to pick up.
The first new bin was close to the entrance to the park but some young lads with bikes were sitting on the bench next to it so I didn’t get a chance to have a good look at it. It was certainly much bigger than the old bins and the grass and the path did look relatively litter free. Maybe bigger bins were the answer?
Further along, by the jetty, the water was filled with swans. Amongst them was a single cygnet. Whether this was the little fluffy grey cygnet I’d seen in May, now all grown up, I couldn’t tell. I imagine it was. I stopped for a while thinking about all the other cygnets I’ve watched on the river here. Some of them must be the adult swans now crowded around the jetty. By this time next year, this new cygnet will have white feathers too and it will be impossible to tell him from all the others.
Just around the bend in the river I came to a very large fallen tree. A closer look said it had been cut down, rather than blown by the wind that whips up off the water here. I suppose it must have been diseased and in danger of falling onto the path. Seeing a fallen tree always makes me a little sad, even so.
Further still, I finally got a chance to look at one of the new bins. They’re certainly very large, bright and hard to miss. I almost wished I’d had some litter to put in the thing. Perhaps on another walk I will.
Finally, I reached the mill. There were swans and gulls on the river as there almost always are. Water was trickling through the sluice and a clump of himalayan balsam was flowering near the wall. This last thing is something I’d rather not have seen because himalayan balsam is an invasive species and it’s rapidly taking over our riverbanks, crowding out the native wildflowers.
Of course, my main focus was the mill building. As I approached, it looked pretty much as it always had. The road was open, cars were going through three at a time. This was good news for the people of St Denys and Mansbridge. Although the narrow little road through the mill doesn’t look as if it would ever carry much traffic, whenever it is closed it causes massive traffic jams at Cobden Bridge and Mansbridge. There was talk of more road closures to make repairs to the roof, but for now, things looked to be back to normal. Of course, the damage had been around the side of the building and this was where I was heading.
As I walked on I was a little nervous about what I would find. As it was, I was pleasantly surprised. The people who carried out the repairs have done a wonderful job. It looks as if they have reused as many of the old bricks as they can, and apart from the bright new mortar, you’d never know there had ever been a whacking great hole in the wall a few months ago.
So far my walk had been a success. I’d seen the new bins, had a lovely walk in the park, complete with a cygnet, and I was more than satisfied with the repairs to the mill. There was another point to this walk though, but I’ll have to tell you about that another day.
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