Old lane looks much younger (From Witney Gazette)

Old lane looks much younger

2:48pm Thursday 29th March 2007 in Witney By Tim Hughes

A NARROW road, known for generations as Dark Lane, has been made a whole lot lighter - thanks to hard-working villagers.

Volunteers in Finstock hacked away at overgrown trees and bushes to improve access along the overgrown lane, which once served as an important thoroughfare for the village.

The villagers worked with staff from Oxfordshire County Council as part of the Wychwood Parish Conservation Project, to clear overgrown blackthorn.

Also helping out were volunteer wardens from the Cotswolds Conservation Board.

The clearance also exposed the remains of historic walls which flank Dark Lane.

Some trees were left on both sides of the path to provide shelter for birds and small mammals.

Jane Bowley, Wychwood Project Officer, said: "Our fantastic group of volunteers braved wintry conditions to make a real improvement to this historic path."

Roger Belson, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for sustainable development, said: "I am always delighted to hear of projects such as this having a real impact on the lives of local people. Long may the Wychwood Project continue to flourish."

The project was one of several organised by the Wychwood Project Parish Conservation Challenge in Finstock over the next few weeks.

Other activities include working with Finstock Primary School to plant trees at Langlands. The children will also work with a landscape historian and local artists to create an art work that will contribute to a contemporary photographic tapestry about life in the Wychwood Forest, from historical to modern times.

The Wychwood Project is a jointly funded initiative by Oxfordshire County Council and West Oxfordshire District Council with the support of the Friends of Wychwood.