MADAM,

Recently I took a walk across the Wye Bridge (traffic, fumes etc) to the Mayhill area of the town. On arrival I noted the condition of the adjacent land.

On reaching the eastern bank on the up-river side, I noticed what appeared to be a flight of stone steps leading down to the river. A piece of wooden boarding had been placed across the top of same, presumably to prevent them being used.

A totally pointless action this, as from there at least as far as the entrance to Riverside Park was completely lost to undergrowth - or should that be overgrowth?

This included what I took to be flood/overflow channels for the river, an official notice which (at least on the Staunton road face) purported to advise visitors of various places of interest in the town and area, and what I took to have been a war-time ‘Pill Box’/gun emplacement, but of which the side adjacent to the road appeared to be the only part of same visible.

There was also an official warning notice to members of the public not to ‘fly-post’ or otherwise deface the roadside fencing - but as it was all also lost to ‘over-growth’ there appeared to be little point in same.

I then proceeded up Hadnock Road - and very soon came to the conclusion that it was a totally unsuitable location for any form of industrial activity. At least the industrial estates on Wonastow Road have two access routes - only one of which is supposed to be used by HGVs and such-like (note I say ‘supposed’).

Beyond the sprawl of the industrial estate the greenery took over. I did, however, note that in places the single-track road did appear in danger of losing some of its surface to the track-bed of the old Monmouth - Ross rail line some feet below.

Eventually I reached the point where part of the above-mentioned track-bed has been reclaimed as a cycle track/footpath en route to Biblins Bridge and Symonds Yat East.

Since it would appear very unlikely that trains - other than of the ‘ghost’ variety - will ever return to the Monmouth area, perhaps one day the track-bed southwards from here could be reclaimed - even with the relocation of the industrial estate, as far as Mayhill, the Ross line bridge and at least part of the old Troy Station site (if not beyond, as was

talked about some 20-plus years ago).

R J Powell

(Monmouth)