Frome’s Missing Links plant nearly 700 trees

Volunteers have just finished planting about 700 young trees that will eventually form a 6m wide shelterbelt on the next stretch of the multi user cycle path, which currently stops by the sewage works at Low Water, near Whatcombe Fields.

Chair of Frome’s Missing Links  (FML) and local town councillor, Richard Ackroyd said, “Our thanks to the Woodland Trust who provided us with about 470 trees from their ‘Wild Wood’ pack. This was a mix of hazel, crab apple, downy birch, hawthorn, holly and goat willow, plus a few homegrown specimens. The plants should be about adult head height within eight years, but should be quite visible before then.”

In addition to the shelterbelt, the volunteers have also planted over 200 tall willow whips, which will act as an immediate screen when work starts on the path later this year.

The new plants will complement the 450 saplings planted earlier in February with the help of Duke of Edinburgh students.  Volunteer Chris Green said, “The trees from February are doing very well and will soon form a good size hedge on the south side of the path. This week we also extended our planting to make repairs to an existing hedge that was falling into disrepair due to a large number of diseased elms.  This newly-repaired section will be great for wildlife.”

Frome’s Missing Links started informally in 2010 and registered as a CIO [charitable incorporated organisation]in Jan 2016 and campaigns for better and safer walking and cycling routes in Frome and better connections to neighbouring towns and villages. 

The goal is to develop traffic-free routes with gentle gradients suitable for all ages and abilities – including specifically to fill in the sections of national cycle routes that are currently still dangerous for riders, but not to exclude any other users such as horse riders and mobility scooters.

For more information visit www.fromesmissing links.org.uk