SOME of Sherston’s most picturesque walks will be a little bit safer, thanks to new funding.

The Sherston Footpath Group secured £500 in match funding from the Malmesbury Area Board earlier this month, to fix a number of “unsafe” stiles in and around the village.

The group have recently updated a booklet, available in the village, covering some of the best walks in the village.

Many of the stiles on the routes have become “dangerous”, accordingly to parish councillor and chairman of the Sherston Footpath Group, Phil Cutcher, and need to be fixed.

“Lot of the stiles are quite broken and dangerous, or gone out of use,” he said.

“We want to try to make them more usable.”

Cllr Cutcher says he wants to see more “use-friendly” kissing gates installed, to make the walks more accessible for the elderly and young.

Members of the footpath group, who tend to the footpaths in their free time, pledged their own money to the repairs so that the group would qualify for the match funding from the council.

“We want to increase the number of people who have access to the walks and improve public health,” continued Cllr Cutcher.

“We’ve partly paid for this out of our own pockets, pledging a few bob each.”

Cllr Cutcher hopes the improvements to the footpaths, which should encouraged walkers to visit the area, will mean a boost for businesses in the village.

Looking forward, the group are holding a committee meeting next month to discuss where the £1,000 raised will go.

Wiltshire Council member and deputy chairman of the Malmesbury Area Board, Simon Killane, said he thought it was a “brilliant” project.

“I have young children and live of the on edge of the countryside and we’re always out doing these things,” he said.

“It’s important having access for all walking abilities. It’s horrible to climb over some of those stiles.

“The countryside around Malmesbury is fantastic. It’s a resource that is not used enough.”

To find out more about the walks around Sherston, visit sherstonwalks.org.uk