A few weeks ago we were contacted by one of the teams from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to ask whether we could organise a guided walk along the New Cut as part of their team awayday. FrANC committee member Ed Hall is a well-respected Bristol walking guide and he was happy to suggest a two hour walk.

So on a damp morning in late February, three FrANC committee members met thirty DEFRA staff on the Banana Bridge. They were from the Environment Science and Analysis Team and do mainly office-based work based in locations including London, Newcastle, York and Bristol.

Ed led a fascinating walk, stopping at many locations to share his extensive knowledge of the history of the New Cut and the surrounding land. Umbrellas were needed before long but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm. We finished at Cumberland Basin and said goodbye to the DEFRA staff who had to return to the Bristol office. 

Feedback from the DEFRA team was that they had enjoyed it and found it fascinating to hear about the local area, including the Bristolians who had all learned something new.