NEW LINEAR WALKS ALONG THE 'COTSWOLD LINE'

The project will develop and promote a new 42 mile long 'Rail Trail' linking Malvern to Honeybourne using existing public rights of way to connect all 8 stations on the 'Cotswold Line'. The route will be developed, tested and risk assessed by volunteers in our partner organisation the Worcestershire Ramblers and in consultation with the PROW team at Worcestershire County Council. 

The route and it's walking guide maps will help equip the Worcestershire Community Railway Partnership's website with high quality downloadable content. Unlike a printed guidebook this will enable free and easier access to a wider audience for mapping and written directions as well a KML and GPX files for smartphones and GPS devices. It will also provide a platform for subsequent updating and for the potential development of additional walking routes between and from individual stations. 

To raise public awareness and encourage use a summary leaflet will be produced for distribution at local tourist offices, stations etc. Posters with QR codes can also be developed for display at stations and other suitable local venues. 

Opportunities will also be taken to promote the route and website thorugh social media, press publicity and with local groups. It is already intended to offer the walk as a 3-day trail at next years Malvern (May) and Evesham (July) Walking Festivals and as a series of three 1-day walks for local Ramblers Groups.

The routes

PROJECT VISUAL IDENTITY AGREED

While we have lots of practical on the ground things to achieve on the project, one of the key first things to agree on was the way that the project was going to present itself visually.

As such we set to evolving three possible different visual identities:

1. Traditional

• Using refs from classic railways - colours, typefaces etc.
• This is quite a 'formal' look and feel and while it may appeal to steam and railway fans it's quite 'niche' and may not appear relevant to modern generations and possibly a bit 'formal' for a wide-ranging project of this nature.
• Wording tends to be in old world CAPS and not the more accessible upper and lower case (like on British road signs).

2. Typographic

• 'Sustrans' just have the word 'sustrans' as their logo and many walking routes use the tile as opposed to a logo (i.e. coast to coast walk).
• An informal, youthful outlook, easy to read, accessible and simplistic.
• The logo is all in lower case which (in logo terms) is the ultimate youthful look and feel (again like sustrans' logo).

3. Nature themes and trails

• Using naturalistic colours, easily legible typefaces, a youthful outlook, easily accessible.
• This is an informal, naturalistic look and feel which links in well to the outdoor nature of the project.
• Wording tends to be in upper and lower case so it's easily legible at a glance (like road signs).

Project team's final decision

The project team discussed each possible visual style and it's applications in some depth one by one and concluded that the range of values, flexibility, openness, accessibility and eferences to the natural world in the (option 3) was eventually the best 'fit' for the project going forwards.

PROJECT START - SEPTEMBER 2022

A new collaboration to help develop a set of 'Rail Trails' in the region has just begun between the Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership, the Worcester Ramblers and the University of Worcester's School of Arts.

The trails will be developed utilising the existing knowledge of the area's walking routes supplied by Worcester Ramblers' Lyndon Bracewell (centre), the walking guide design and mapping expertise supplied through project buy-out of University Graphic Design Lecturer Andy Stevenson (left) and the funding support of the Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership represented here by Chairman William Whiting (right).

The team are aiming to have an initial tranche of outputs ready as downloadable .pdf guide sheets and corresponding GPX files that can be used on walking apps in the new year.

The new walking trails will run roughly in parallel with the area of track in the region known as the 'Cotswold Line' initially between Malvern, Worcester and Honeybourne with potential extensions north of the city being considered now too.