News / Hotwells
Footpath to finally reopen but questions remain why it took three and a half years
When it was last possible to walk up the Mardyke Steps from Hotwells to Cliftonwood, the world was still months away from a global pandemic.
On Monday, the footpath – also known as the Church Path Steps – is due to reopen for the first time since January 1 2020 when it was closed due to a wall collapsing.
Since then, there has been somewhat of a saga surrounding the steps, with the city council saying that a full repair could cost many hundreds of thousands of pounds amid debate over who should be responsible for paying.
is needed now More than ever
A full repair has still not happened, with a gaping hole still visible close to the top of the path where the wall collapsed into the back garden of the Mardyke pub.
The landlord of the Mardyke was adamant that he holds no responsibility for the collapse of a top section of the wall and therefore should not have to pay a penny for its repair.
But a metal fence has now been constructed to separate pedestrians from the chasm.
? Pleased to confirm that the Mardyke/Church Path Steps, linking Hotwells and Cliftonwood, will reopen on Monday, thanks to our new fence
? After damage nearby was stabilised over the winter, @BristolCouncil officers will continue to monitor the site going forward pic.twitter.com/rD9IZfgl0s
— Marvin Rees (@MarvinJRees) July 1, 2023
Clifton councillor Katy Grant has welcomed the reopening of the footpath, the top of which is in her ward, but has questioned why a fence could not have been built sooner.
Grant told Bristol24/7: “We are delighted to see the Church Path Steps open again, after three and a half years without them!
“The residents of Clifton and Cliftonwood have really missed this useful and much-loved footpath to Hotwell Road.
“The Clifton ward councillors have pushed hard for them to be repaired, and if not, to secure them and reopen them for interim use.
“We thank the council officers for their efficient work to make them safe to use, but since no actual repair work has been done, we do question why the decision to do this was not taken within weeks of the closure.
“And we are still insistent that relevant maintenance must be done, and that the wall supporting the steps should be fixed properly as soon as possible.”
Church Path Steps, more commonly known as the Mardyke Steps, connect Hotwell Road and the corner of Cliftonwood Terrace and Church Lane, close to the Lion pub in Cliftonwood – photo: Martin Booth
After three and a half years, a metal fence has been constructed close to the top of the path – photo: Martin Booth
The new fence separates the path from the hole that leads to the Mardyke pub’s back garden – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- The ongoing saga of the Mardyke Steps
- Council takes 25 years to process application protecting footpath
- A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Mardyke, Hotwells
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