Residents are frustrated as a popular footpath becomes impassable after dredging work by the Environment Agency
New Romney: So, it turns out that a beloved footpath has turned into a muddy mess after some dredging work. Residents are pretty upset about it.
The path, which runs for about half a mile between New Romney and St Mary in the Marsh, is now filled with thick mud. This happened after they cleared out the Wallingham Sewer nearby.
Even though the Environment Agency finished their work in November, the mud is still there, making it impossible to walk through.
John Harrison, a local who used to walk that path every day, has had to give it up. He’s 63 and loves walking, but this bog is just too much.
He mentioned that while he understands the need for the ditches to be cleared, he doesn’t get why they had to do it on this side. It’s just made things tough for walkers.
John said, “Access to land is important, and it’s just not right to make it impassable like this.”
He also pointed out that the muddy area is about 15 feet wide, forcing people to walk through crops, which isn’t safe or easy.
He added, “If someone isn’t very mobile, there’s no way they can get across.”
There’s even a guy who walks his Scottish Terriers there, and he had to pull one out of the mud. Since then, he hasn’t tried to walk that way again.
John noted that while it’s a dirt path, the farmer usually keeps it in good shape, and he often sees groups enjoying the walk.
District councillor David Wimble, who represents New Romney, said the dredging was necessary to prevent flooding in the area. He explained that the sewer helps manage floodwater runoff from the farmland.
He acknowledged that it doesn’t look great right now, but it’s a lesser evil to avoid flooding. As for when the mud will be cleared, that’s still up in the air.
The Environment Agency has been reached out to for more information.
