New boardwalk makes nature reserve accessible to all

A wooden walkway designed to make a Norfolk nature reserve more accessible has opened.

Work to renew the boardwalk at Holkham beach on the Holkham estate in North Norfolk began in March.

The pathway, which runs from the beach car park through the forest to a viewing platform overlooking the sand, cost £150,000 to build.

Dr Katy Owen, protected landscapes manager at Norfolk County Council, said: "We want more people to be able to experience the sound of the wind whistling through the pine woods, smell the salty sea air and experience Holkham Bay with as few barriers as possible."

The boardwalk has been made from recycled plastic bottles and is expected to last for 75 years.

The route through the Holkham estate is part of the Norfolk Coast Path National Trail and attracts about a million visitors a year.

It is hoped the wider boardwalk will make the area more accessible for wheelchair users and families with pushchairs.

When work began last month, Dr Owen said: "Holkham is a well-loved estate and forward-thinking in the way it recognises the need for people, nature, farming and tourism to co-exist.

"The boardwalk is the culmination of many years of collaborative work with the estate, and some time ago we recognised the need to upgrade the current facility.

"One in five of us will be considered permanently or temporarily disabled during our lifetime.

"Equity of access to nature is so important to our health and wellbeing."

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