Riverside Walk

There were workmen down on the Riverside Walk today, cutting down a few trees that had fallen over, or were leaning at precarious angles after the recent high winds. They had a lorry down there with a chipping machine that they were feeding branches into. Binky the bull terrier (who is an absolute sweetie) was quite happy to go past, but the loud noise worried Islay, so we turned back.

Some visitors to Hay think it's strange that we have two paths running parallel to each other along the riverbank. In fact, there is a good historical reason for this. The lower path, nearer the river, is the access to the fishing platforms. It is also known as the Bailey Walk, after Sir Joseph Bailey, who was Lord of the Manor, and resident of the Castle, in the 19thC. The local people of Hay had always had access to the riverbank - there's still the remains of a spring where locals came to draw water, right down by the water's edge, near the Loggin Brook and the Church. This was also the place where barges moored, when they came up river. However, when the tramway was being built, it threatened to cut off the people from the river. So Sir Joseph built the footpath, and donated it to the town as an act of philanthropy.
The upper footpath started off as the horse drawn tramway, and became the railway line. It closed shortly before Dr Beeching's Axe, in 1961. The last stationmaster lived until his 90s in a house overlooking the line, an old fashioned gentleman who would always raise his hat to a lady. Now the railway line has become part of the national cycle network, route 42, as well as a footpath.