Aberystwyth Ramblers have organised a walk this week to celebrate the completion of a project to improve access to footpaths.

Aberystwyth Ramblers have been busy improving access to a number of footpaths in the area.

They have been improving walks featured in the book 'Aberystwyth Walks', and tomorrow (Tuesday, 27 February), a pop up walk will set off from Plascrug Leisure centre at 10am.

Before and after photographs like the ones above highlight the extent of the work the Aberystwyth Ramblers Footpath Working Group has done to improve access.

The Footpath Working Party have replaced the two remaining stiles on the Lluest junction to Comins Coch path with self-closing gates in a project funded by a grant from the Ramblers Path Accessibility Fund to Ceredigion Council.

The improvement has been appreciated by many users of the path, particularly with the other footpath between Comins Coch and Waunfawr has been closed for several months.

While they were working one passer-by commented that she had long-dreaded crossing the difficult stiles. She was so thankful that she returned a little later with a box of champagne chocolates for the workers.­

In almost 30 years of the Aberystwyth Ramblers Working Party this is a first; there have been very occasional offers of tea and biscuits and one memorable box of ice cream for the volunteers on a very hot day.

Aberystwyth Ramblers Footpath Working Party also recently improved the  footpath at the end of Bryn Rd, Aberystwyth.

Volunteers worked in appalling wet conditions to complete the all-weather surfacing of the Bryn Road to Bryn y Môr footpath.

The upgrade to this popular route was funded by a grant from the Aberystwyth Ramblers Footpath Working Party channelled through the Ceredigion County Council Rights of Way Team.

The improvements to the paths are part of the same project.

The group has now completed the work on Walk 3 from the ‘Aberystwyth Walks’ book.

The book was published some years ago by Aberystwyth Ramblers having been compiled by four of its members. Walk 3 follows a circular route taking in Llanbadarn Fawr, Comins Coch and Waunfawr.

It had many stiles and one particularly muddy section.

However, these difficulties are now all gone thanks to the volunteers of the Aberystwyth Ramblers Footpath Working Party who removed 12 stiles, replacing them with 12 self closing gates and also improving the path surfaces in muddy areas. Self-closing gates cost around £250 but make access so much easier for all.

Four of the gates were paid for by the wider UK Ramblers Path Accessibility Fund in what has been both a local and national effort.

The work was carried out in co-operation with the Ceredigion County Council Rights of Way team.

Plans are in place to use more proceeds from the book on other routes.