Bradford on Avon Town Council

Pennant Stone Slabs Help Protect Bradford on Avon’s Heritage

Matthew McLaughlin
Mayor of Bradford on Avon Sarah Gibson, John Potter and Wiltshire Councillor Dr Mark McClelland explain the reason for the replacement of tarmac for Welsh Pennant Stone on Church Street

Work in progress with Pennant stone replacing tarmac John Potter Bradford on Avon Preservation Chairman explains to the Town Mayor councillor Sarah Gibson and Wiltshire Cllr Dr Mark McClelland the reason for replacing tarmac with Welsh Pennant stone on the footpath from the church to Barton Orchard. Photo Trevor Porter 67814 5

Work to bring back the historical origins of Church Street have been hailed as a success for Bradford on Avon.

Rather than seeing Church Street tarmacked, Bradford on Avon Town Council, the Preservation Trust and Wiltshire Council worked together to relay the footpath between Church Street and Barton Orchard with pennant stone.

The job of laying beautiful pennant stone from a reclamation yard in Merthyr Tydfil began on Friday, 4 February.

[L-R] Wiltshire Council cabinet member, Cllr Dr Mark Mark McClelland, Preservation Trust chairman John Potter and Bradford on Avon Town Mayor, Cllr Sarah Gibson
The works were scheduled to finish on 11 February but they are ongoing.

On Monday, 14 February, representatives from each organisation gathered to look at the fruits of their labour.

Bradford on Avon Mayor, Cllr Sarah Gibson said: “Working in partnership Wiltshire Council and the Preservation Trust has been a great success.

“Bradfordians want to see their town’s heritage protected for generations to come, and by working together we have delivered that with the beautiful pennant stone paving on Church Street.”

John Potter, Chairman of the Preservation Trust, said: “This pretty, and much used, little footpath is being restored with pennant slabs as a part of Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust’s scheme to replace damaged pavements made of pennant with the correct material rather than tarmac patches.

“We are very pleased to have worked closely with the Town Council and Wiltshire Council on this project which has been greatly helped by a generous donation towards the costs from a member of the Trust.”

“Bradfordians want to see their town’s heritage protected for generations to come…”

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for Transport and Street Scene, Cllr Dr Mark McClelland said: “Our planned works for resurfacing the footway in Church Street, Bradford on Avon, have been enhanced by the Town Council and Preservation Trust, which suggested restoring the lane to the original pennant slab construction, instead of our planned replacement of the existing blacktop surface.

“With the support of the Town Council and Preservation Trust, which has sourced the pennant stone paving and covered the extra costs of the stone installation, our contractor, Ringway, has restored the footway with the pennant stone.”

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