Author Topic: Irish boardwalk  (Read 4184 times)

jontea

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Irish boardwalk
« on: 09:12:43, 07/03/18 »
I was appalled to see a 1.6 km boardwalk built up a mountain side in Northern Ireland.
It’s called ‘The Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Trail’ I’m not against boardwalks, they have their place in short strips, and there are many in the UK’s national parks that work really well but on this scale leaves me thinking........why?


It’s a sensitive nature reserve, so the boardwalk allows folk to walk up the mountain without interfering with the environment, but by having a boardwalk on this scale, isn’t that itself interfering with the environment?  :-\


Your thoughts?


https://www.lougherneresort.com/cuilcagh-mountain.html
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ninthace

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #1 on: 09:22:41, 07/03/18 »
I can go with it for the reasons given. It protects a fragile ecosystem.


 IMHO board walks should all be 6ft longer than they are so that they cross the boggy bits that you have to cross at the start and finish  ;)
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Maggot

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #2 on: 09:24:23, 07/03/18 »
It says in your link that the boardwalk was built to ...........


"
The boardwalk was built to protect the rare blanket bog from erosion caused by walkers in the Cuilcagh Mountain Special Area of Conservation. Located at the end of a 5.8 km limestone gravel track, the boardwalk is 1.6 km in length and features 450 steps."[/color]  

which seems quite logical to me.  If the options are a low impact boardwalk, massive damage or shutting the area, then the boardwalk seems sensible.

 
It is low impact, generally in keeping with the area and sensitively done.  There isn't lots of stainless steel and two handrails are there!

adalard

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #3 on: 09:30:15, 07/03/18 »
It's a tricky balance with these things, I think.


In terms of damage to the environment, I suppose the environment immediately beneath the boardwalk is impacted but this is seen as a good trade off because it stops people wandering across the delicate blanket bog or widening a "natural" path that's formed over time by walkers. Anyone who walks in the Peak District will have seen those peat expanses where people try to avoid the most eroded parts and thereby extend the erosion. The value of this sort of thing can be seen on Black Hill near Marsden, where the ecosystem has flourished beautifully since the Pennine Way there was paved - and I've seen improvements already on Brown Knoll since they laid slabs across that particular quagmire.


-


The other consideration is an aesthetic one - a "de-wilding" of the landscape or an ugly blot on it (that path on Sail, anyone?). When we walked up Ingleborough via Gaping Gill a few years back, someone had scratched into almost every newly-laid slab "Stop paving our mountains!". When we descended by an unimproved path later on, sections of it were a couple of feet below ground level, a deep channel of eroded, bare earth and other sections were ever-extending flat areas of mud, as people walked on the grassy edges for ease and comfort. Personally, I thought the path up was doing far less damage to the environment and that outweighed the visual impact (which does lessen with time in many cases).

jontea

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #4 on: 09:37:02, 07/03/18 »
It is low impact, generally in keeping with the area
Really?  :-\
Walking is the world’s oldest exercise and today’s modern medicine.

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jimbob

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #5 on: 09:47:14, 07/03/18 »
In these instances then,for the thousands of years that the ecosystem has been there trumps the small number of years humanity has been able to leisure walk.

These paths are put down because of the damage. The guardians of the ecosystem quite rightly have no concern for the feelings of a few (comparitivly ) walkers.

I was shocked at the fact that the peat was higher than my head either side of the path in places on day one of the PW. First time I had been in that area. Even more shocked at areas of the Northumberland  coastal walk path which I played on over 50 years ago.

So in short,  yes in favour. It defines a walking area that can be easily maintained.

« Last Edit: 17:29:23, 07/03/18 by jimbob »
Too little, too late, too bad......

Maggot

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #6 on: 14:08:28, 07/03/18 »
Really?  :-\


Oh yes.  Goooogle 'Castle Hill Thetford steps' for how they could have done it  :o


I was going to post a picture, but couldn't get the file size small enough  ::)

adalard

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #7 on: 14:18:09, 07/03/18 »
Oh yes.  Goooogle 'Castle Hill Thetford steps' for how they could have done it  :o


That is truly, jaw-droppingly awful. Who on earth authorised that? Who on earth designed it?  >:(

Tin

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #8 on: 14:33:21, 07/03/18 »

Oh yes.  Goooogle 'Castle Hill Thetford steps' for how they could have done it  :o


I was going to post a picture, but couldn't get the file size small enough  ::)


Jesus. It looks like a V1 launch ramp!

phil1960

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #9 on: 16:05:13, 07/03/18 »
I’m with Jontea, I think it sucks!
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

sunnydale

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #10 on: 18:51:47, 07/03/18 »

That is truly, jaw-droppingly awful.....


Yep, I agree. A considerable overkill for the size of the hill.


Aside from that, I've always thought that the Peak Park should construct a proper path across Kinder Scout, from the top of Crowden to the Downfall.
A path is shown on the OS map...but in reality, it's very hard to find when you're actually there.  The erosion has been considerable, a lot of it caused by walkers trudging about all over the place trying to find their way across.
Maybe it's too difficult or simply can't be done....but a raised board walk would be a good idea, IMHO...at least up to the point where the path to the Downfall becomes more obvious (near Kinder Gates).

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jontea

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #11 on: 19:07:15, 07/03/18 »
Some interesting and surprising opinions from you guys.


Just to add to my original post, I believe there are two routes up to this peak.
I doubt the other route has the same boardwalk up to it’s summit, so why a second route?


As I said, I’m not against boardwalks, low flat ones that blend into the surroundings are okay and over wetlands there is little other option.
But if the boardwalk had stopped before the staircase climb which is over solid ground, and a stone path put in place, that wouldn’t have been so bad.


However my link doesn’t show the full staircase of 450 steps up the last section which as I said is on solid ground.


A stone built pathway up this last section would have looked much more aesthetically pleasing rather than a timber construction. It would also need less maintenance and last longer.


I just hope this form of pathway doesn’t  give folk elsewhere in the UK similar ideas :)
Walking is the world’s oldest exercise and today’s modern medicine.

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jimbob

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #12 on: 19:28:11, 07/03/18 »
It is possible the root structures can survive under the timber but would be destroyed if they put stone in place?

Too little, too late, too bad......

Maggot

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #13 on: 20:28:34, 07/03/18 »
It is possible the root structures can survive under the timber but would be destroyed if they put stone in place?


I completely agree with this.  Moisture, light, rodents, insects etc will get through the wooden walkway, everything gets squished by big bits of rock.  I also think, when weathered in a bit and surrounded by deeper vegetation, the boardwalk will all but vanish.


I think we just have to be relieved that they haven't put in an all weather travelator!


Hey, I have sussed attachments  ;D




sunnydale

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Re: Irish boardwalk
« Reply #14 on: 08:59:24, 08/03/18 »
Golf!!! ::)   How to ruin a good walk! ;D
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