Boardwalk launch brings Wichelstowe community closer to nature

A new boardwalk has been officially unveiled at Wichelstowe, offering residents and visitors an accessible route through the area’s central green space.

It is also intended to enhance connections between neighbourhoods.

Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, joined Daniel Pavely, Project Director for Wichelstowe, to officially open the 500-metre-long, three-metre-wide boardwalk at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The structure spans the flood plain between Middle and West Wichel, linking the bridges along the eastern edge of Orchards Rise to the new District Centre car park in Canalside. 

An additional 200 metres of hoggin paths will connect the boardwalk to the heart of the surrounding area, forming a central hub within the Wichelstowe development.

The Wichelstowe development is being built by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Redrow South West in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, and will deliver 3,000 new homes along with new schools and community facilities over 20 years. The 250-hectare site on the southern edge of Swindon will include extensive open spaces, nature conservation areas, playing pitches and allotments.   

Cllr Strinkovsky said: “It’s great that we've created such a cool new feature in Wichelstowe which will improve the wellbeing of everyone who lives in this amazing new community. 

"Having had the pleasure of trying the Boardwalk myself, I'm certain local residents of all ages are going to love it. It's a perfect place to enjoy a stroll and spot the area’s rich wildlife."

She added: "I was expecting it to be beautiful but I'm actually slightly overwhelmed by how lovely it is.

"Because it's still technically a building site, I was expecting it to look like a building site, but here we are and it looks like a nature reserve!

"It's all completely organic - everything we've seen around us, the kingfisher that went flitting by, the geese, the deer tracks that we saw earlier and all of that amazing variety of plant life."

The raised boardwalk has been constructed using recycled plastic for durability and resilience and has been carefully designed to ensure year-round usability across the lower lying, often waterlogged land.

Low-level solar lights mark the edge of the route which are fitted with specialist ‘bat hats’ to reduce light pollution and minimise impact on Wichelstowe’s bat population. The boardwalk also crosses several watercourses including the Elcombe Brook and features two new footbridges as part of the scheme.

A decked viewing platform has been created over the southern edge of one of the ponds which offers a peaceful space to observe local wildlife. The route passes two attenuation ponds that have recently been cleared to encourage biodiversity. 

One of these, known as Kingfisher Island, now includes specially installed nesting tunnels to help attract kingfishers, which have already been spotted on site.

Daniel Pavely said: “The boardwalk is a brilliant new feature at Wichelstowe, providing a safe and scenic route through one of our most ecologically rich areas. We’ve worked hard to create something that’s both practical and environmentally sensitive, allowing people to enjoy the space while protecting the wildlife that thrives here. 

"It’s a great example of our commitment to making Wichelstowe a connected, sustainable and welcoming place to live.”

The boardwalk will eventually be extended as development progresses, forming a key part of a continuous north-south link through Wichelstowe’s central green spine.

A new play area — ‘The Boardwalk Play Area’ — is also set to be delivered later this summer to the south of the pond, further enhancing this part of Wichelstowe’s public realm.

As part of the neighbourhood residents can enjoy 12km of new nature trails, play areas, 200 acres of open space and walks along the Wilts and Berks canal. There is also a range of schools for children of all ages within easy reach.  

Junction 16 of the M4 and Swindon train station are both within a ten-minute drive, providing easy access to Bristol and London. 

David Wilson Redrow South West has recently launched a new phase at Canalside. More details about other new homes at Wichelstowe can be found at Orchards Rise, Orchards View and Wichel Fields. 

 The new boardwalk was built by Keystone Environmental.