‘Dirty, muddy and unfit for a World Heritage Site’
A popular Bath tourist trail has become a mud bath, claims a resident.
Patrick Cheney says Gravel Walk has turned into an unsightly state due to overuse and council inaction.
Gravel Walk runs from Queen Square behind Gay Street, The Circus and Brock Street to the Crescent, showing off the backs of the historic houses along the way and is a key route for people wanting to see some of the Unesco city’s top Georgian buildings.
First created in 1771, the path is nearly 250 years old.
“It’s called Gravel Walk, but for the last six months it has been more like mud walk,” Mr Cheney said.
“The council doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it and it’s getting worse.”
Mr Cheney, a pensioner who has lived on Brock Street for 30 years, is used to tourists gawking at his home.
“The backs of our houses look out onto the Gravel Walk where we see tour groups of around 40 people looking up at our back windows,” he said.
Mr Cheney said the path has fallen into disrepair and is frustrated by Bath and North East Somerset Council which he claims has done nothing to address the problem. He said: “It is the worst I have ever seen it. “We have had problems in the past due to building work but now we have a long-term problem - it’s dirty, muddy and not attractive for a World Heritage Site.
“I have reported it to the council three times in the last nine months about the mud and the puddles getting larger and larger and the path getting dirtier and dirtier,” he said.
“They should at least tell the Mayor’s Guides to take another route. It can’t be nice for tourists either.
“The council are in their own world. I do not expect immediate action, but a specialty of our council is inaction.”
Mr Cheney also pointed out the abandoned telephone boxes are adding to the problem although he has not reported these concerns.
“At either end of this path they have old telephone kiosks which no-one seems to know what to do with. They have descended into grubby and dirty places.
“One is still a place where they sell drugs,” he alleged.
“At one time you could see that because of syringes left behind but now the drugs have changed, you just see people suspiciously hanging around.”
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been contacted for comment.
It’s called Gravel Walk, but for the last six months it has been more like mud walk. The council doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it and it’s getting worse. Patrick Cheney