Rewiggling the river

Over centuries, the course of the river through the town centre has been narrowed, lined and straightened. Historically, it was more sinuous and what is now Henley Way was once an island. This regimented legacy of Frome's industrial past has speeded the river's flow, raised it's banks, reduced it's capacity and almost certainly made it much less hospitable to wildlife. The current high, steep banks offer little to detain or engage the visitor and promote a bland, utilitarian perspective on what could and should be one of the towns greatest assets. Chateau Gontier Walk is rarely seen as a place to linger and with the current pinch point under the railway bridge, Welshmill woods could almost be in another town. Our own canoe club has little variety for it's paddlers and the EA watercraft launching site lacks a challenge. It would take a lot of work to plan a safe, nature and visitor friendly rekindling of this critical section, but rewiggling the river could reduce the height and increase the length of the banks, improve access under the railway bridge and is commensurate with the ideas already put forward of a river scoop and improving river access, making the river much more of an asset than an encumbrance and helping to bring nature closer to our town's heart. If it was done in conjuction with some minor changes to encourage the use of the former livestock railway access ramp to the east of the Cheese and Grain, it could even be carried out with the loss of very few car park spaces overall.