by Jane Denton
The beaten track that links the tarmac path of the Hornsea Rail Trail to the rear of Tesco car park is, weather permitting, now usable for most of the year by pedestrians, careful cyclists and mobility scooter and wheelchair users.
Prior to its upgrade that began in early 2021 it was quite a different story.
The area that the Tesco site sits on together with the adjacent community orchard, the track itself and the nearby land is a flood plain that is rich in nature and wildlife at all levels of the food chain.
The community orchard and the track are owned by East Riding Council, with Stream Dyke being managed by the Environment Agency.
In the modern world people naturally look for shortcuts and, with the arrival of Tesco in Hornsea in January 2012, a shortcut was beaten out by those crossing the wasteland between the Rail Trail and the rear car park gates.
The gates are kept open mainly to allow access to Stream Dyke by the Environment Agency. It was a tricky cut-through to negotiate at the best of times, with a rough uneven surface peppered by items of building waste discarded over the years or removed from the dyke causing obstructions underfoot.
It was overgrown with stinging nettles and brambles and at the mercy of the weather.
In 2020 during Covid, the Community and Litter Picking Service (CLiPS) strimmed the nettles and brambles away down the length of the track to enable people to pass more freely, but the soil surface was always prone to quickly turning to mud in rainy spells.
CLiPS sought and received permission to coat the track with wood chippings if a supplier could be found to donate the materials.
Work began in February 2021 with Martin Wait of Taylor Treecare supplying the chippings. The Hornsea-based tree surgery business remains the generous donor to this day.
At first the chippings were transported by the CLiPS volunteer down the track in a bucket which was time-consuming. In October of that year a wheelbarrow was donated by L&K Warcup Construction, another local company, to ease the work.
In May 2023, with the help of a Plastic Free Hornsea Group volunteer, some adjustment was done to reduce the difference in surface level where the track joins the tarmac path of the Rail Trail.
This was to improve safety for those on wheeled assistance devices who wished to use this route. As the work continued over time, a number of chunks of concrete, bricks and breeze blocks together with many other weird and wonderful items including part of a Raleigh Chopper bike, were dug out and removed to smooth the surface.
Almost six years on, the CLiPS volunteer, a Hornsea Town Councillor in her 70s, continues to coat the track whenever it is necessary.
The weather is the main influence for adding a further layer to the track, but sometimes heavy machinery used to dredge Stream Dyke can necessitate extra repair work. This project has been, and remains, a true labour of love.
No costs have been incurred by the taxpayer.
This is a story of donation. If two local businesses and an older lady avoiding the housework can make a difference, who knows what else could be done?
The track is not a thoroughfare and has no rights of way, but history may change that as it is now a very busy woodland walk used by many.
It also features on the What3Words app.
