A University of Worcester academic has played a key role in new sustainability-themed walking routes around Worcestershire that incorporate transport by train.
Lecturer Andy Stevenson
Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design, Andy Stevenson, has lent his expertise to the project, mapping and illustrating the new circular walking routes from ‘destination stations’ across the county for Rail Trails Worcestershire. These new routes showcase approximately 30 miles of rail-related walks within the County. They are now available online and will soon be re-produced in guide sheets which will be available at tourist information centres and local stations.
Mr Stevenson said: “It’s very much in tune with the growing domestic trend towards sustainable tourism and regenerative tourism. We hope these new guide materials will help people to take in the Worcestershire attractions and countryside in a more sustainable way, lessening their reliance on their cars, whether they’re locals or visitors to the County.”
They add to a previous initiative in the county that mapped out 100 miles of linear walks across the county that went from station to station, with the option to return by train. The new circular walks centre around destination stations on the main train lines that run through Worcestershire, like the Cotswold and Malvern Line or the Wyre Valley Line. There are six new walks, which start from Great Malvern, Worcester Shrub Hill, Evesham, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Alvechurch stations.
The idea is that people can get a train from somewhere else in Worcestershire, or even beyond, and travel to these destination stations. From there they will be able to do a designated walk around the area taking in landmarks of interest, learn about the history and take in some breathtaking scenery, back to the same station, then return home using the train. Each route sheet has interactive QR codes that can be scanned or clicked if viewed on a smartphone to access key linked facilities, such as train times. The walks have been plotted and tested out by Lyndon Bracewell from Worcestershire Ramblers.
When the original walks were published in 2022, they proved so popular that the leaflets soon ran out. Now they are being republished incorporating the additional new circular walks.
Mr Stevenson said: “The statistics from our national tourism organisations suggest that the younger generations are becoming more interested in sustainability and as a result are less likely to be taking future long-haul flights and are more likely to be spending domestically. It’s a really interesting change of focus for people’s holidays and I think all of the UK tourism industry is trying to gear up for this. As those younger generations come through, this trend only looks set to only increase in the coming years.”
Rail Trails Worcestershire is an initiative developed and funded by Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership, working in collaboration with Worcestershire Ramblers and Mr Stevenson.
This latest project follows on from Mr Stevenson’s longstanding design work combining transport by rail and on foot, designed to create more sustainable options for walkers and eco-conscious tourists. Alongside his role with Rail Trails Worcestershire, as previously reported, Mr Stevenson has also recently worked with and helped found a national organisation Railwalks.co.uk, which has created a brand new walking map of the British coastline incorporating train stations, providing walkers with routes alongside the coastline between stations so that they can walk the coast then return via train or vice versa. To mark the 200th anniversary of train travel in the UK, Railwalks.co.uk are holding a number of walking days until July where walkers can join them to walk the best-served stretches of coastline in every region.
To find out more about Rail Trails circular walks visit its website.
To find out more about the Rail Walks 200 project visit its website.