|
|
The Severn Way |
|
|
|
Coordinated by the Environment Agency, the Severn Way Partnership was established to steer the work. This Partnership of Powys, Shropshire, Hereford & Worcester and Gloucestershire County Councils, South Gloucestershire and Bristol City Councils and the Countryside Commission worked together to agree an outline route of 210 miles from source to sea and recognised common aims and objectives. Consultants from SHMS then undertook the stage by stage programme of initiatives necessary to complete a marketing strategy for the long distance path. These included detailed discussions with a wide variety of interested parties along the entire length of the route in both the public and private sector - landowners, hoteliers and accommodation providers, business people, publicans, transport operators, wildlife trusts, conservation bodies, visitor attractions, navigation authorities, Forest Enterprise and utility companies, borough, district, town, parish and community councils. Input was also sought from user groups such as the Ramblers Association, Long Distance Walkers Association and local rambling clubs. Market research in the form of questionnaire surveys complemented such work; cognaisance was also taken of academic and user studies made of existing long distance paths such as the West Highland Way and Offa's Dyke Path. The results of such work allowed the consultants to produce a report identifying and segmenting the market for walking on the Severn Way, recommending the actions necessary to develop and implement the route and advising on a staged introduction of initiatives aimed at increasing the input that recreational walking makes to the local economy throughout the Severn Valley. The report included recommendations for marketing, publicity, access, regional and local link walks and monitoring both of the use of the path and the effect on trade. Of great concern to the Severn Way Partnership was the need to achieve the support and agreement of landowners and farmers throughout the route to the waymarking and upkeep of the Severn Way on the ground. Coordination with Rights of Way and Countryside staff in the English councils ensured that this was achieved in the middle and lower stretches of route. |
 In Powys, SHMS consultants walked sections of the route, identified problems, sought alternative routes and liased directly with landowners on the ground to ensure that the infrastructure was in place before the entire route was mapped and publicised, initially through a general information leaflet designed and produced by SHMS.  |
 Simon Holt Marketing Services researched, designed and produced the original promotional map and information leaflet for The Environment Agency and its partners. The leaflet is full colour A3 size folded to A5. To view this document click on the text below (document is split into two parts for ease of downloading/display). Severn Way Map & Information (Part 1 - 4pp A5) Severn Way Map & Information (Part 2 - 1pp A3) You need 'Adobe Acrobat Reader' to view PDF files. If you haven't got Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer you can download it free of charge. Go to our Sample Publications page and click on the Adobe Acrobat logo.
 |
At
some 220 miles in length the Severn is the longest river in Great
Britain, draining the copious rainfall of the Cambrian Mountains
of mid-Wales to the sea. The landscape through which it flows
(and which it has helped create) is amongst the most diverse
in these Islands, offering remarkable opportunities to all grades
of walker. In past years some piecemeal waymarking, allied to
excellent local guidebooks, helped to publicise some of the rights
of way in the Severn valley, but the overall picture, with its
unrealised potential for countryside recreation and sustainable
tourism, remained undeveloped. Simon Holt Marketing Services
secured the contract to help turn this potential into reality
by developing a Severn Way Marketing Strategy.