This article appeared in Town Talk Community Guide, October 8, 2008
EAC Blazes Trails for Thornbury (Delaware County) Community
In the mid 1990’s a Thornbury Township Open Space and Recreation Plan was approved by Township Supervisors. It described the four parks and other township-owned open space. It described parcels that the township might like to acquire should they become available, and also defined the general location of a potential township-wide trail network that could link township parks for residents’ enjoyment.
Shortly after this plan was prepared the township established an Open Space Committee which is now the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). One of the Committee’s tasks was initiating the Accomplishment of the trail network.
The path along Chester Creek has been defined by EAC members and involved residents as part of the trail network. It lies in one of the most scenic areas of the township.
The trail extends from Bonner Park (entrance off Locksley Road) , upstream to Cheyney Road. Much of the property is township-owned but a significant portion at the start is possible thanks to the generosity of local resident who provided permission for trail access. The remainder of the trail lies in an easement through SEPTA property.
The trail is on the west side of Chester Creek between the stream and the railroad. The area is nearly all heavily wooded and gives the hiker a wilderness feel. The stream was once the location of many mills and historic remnants are frequent. The railroad, which runs on the high embankment to the west is nearly invisible from the trail. The few tourist trains that pass slowly by on weekends are visible and add a bit of historic feel to the walker.
There are four access points to the trail: at Bonner Park, Locksley Road, Station Road and at Cheyney Road. The trail is generally a deer path that has been widened so that one can walk without interference from branches or brush. The trail is temporarily marked with colored tape bands on tree trunks or bushes.
If you start at the downstream end on the east side of Chester Creek, go to Creek Road at the end of Grist Mil Road. Looking toward the creek you will see on old cart path through the woods. The path leads to an abandoned (but safe) bridge across Chester Creek. Don’t miss seeing the massive sycamore tree to the left of the bridge abutment. Cross the stream and you will find a footpath leading upstream along left bank. This is the start of the trail.
Walkers can also enter from Bonner Park if they’re on the west side of the creek. Follow the path in Bonner Park the path in Bonner Park alongside the old quarry to the junction with the railroad at the mouth. Cross the tracks and follow the unpaved cart path to your left to the bridge and the start of the trail.
The trail intersection at Locksley Road is an excellent starting point. The Locksley Road trail entrances are on the railroad side of the bridge. There is parking between the bridge and the railroad, and also near Locksley Station just across the tracks.
The new Locksley Road bridge was completed last May. The guard rails form a barrier from the bridge well inland so one must follow the guard rails nearly to the stream bank to find the trail entrances. You can follow the trail downstream and connect to Bonner Park trail system and return by the Bonner Park blue trail to the start for a nice loop trail walk. Or continue upstream for more of the wooded trail.
The EAC has done planting of wetland tolerant trees in some clearings in the streamside riparian buffer between Locksley Road and Station Road on both sides of the stream. Tree cover provides better flood control and invasive plants tend to throttle native species in the clearings.
The trail crosses Station Road about 50 ft. from the trail crossing. Parking at Cheyney is good near the railroad station/post office. The Station Road trail entrance is a good way to go upstream To Cheyney Road as, at present, it is easier to exit the trail on Cheyney Road than to find a re-routed entrance.
The trail intersection at Cheyney Road is next to the old Thornbury Township equipment storage building. The building is between the railroad and the Cheyney Road Chester Creek bridge on the downstream side of Cheyney Road. A parking lot improvement is planned, at present the lot is closed.
Starting at the downstream end, in addition to the Revolutionary war-era Fraser Homestead ruins in Bonner Park are the old Station Road cartway (now abandoned) and its bridge which provided quarry entrance from the east and was the principal creek-side thruway upstream leading from Old Gradyville Road to Cheney Village. Before Creek Road was built, the main route upstream along the creek led over this bridge and roughly paralleled the railroad all the way to the present Station Road at Cheyney.
Future plans are:
The EAC plans to continue the trail downstream on the east side of Chester Creek to Old Gradyville Road through magnificent mature woods. This is dependent on a PennDOT project to provide an adequate site for a streamside path. The present guardrail makes it dangerous for pedestrians to walk along the road.
(Many thanks to Larry Barrett for his major contribution to this article)
The Township Trail System
The Thornbury Township Open Space and Recreation Study report recommends development of an open space "network", a web of walkways, trails and sidewalks linking Township open space areas.
The Thornbury Township Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) has been developing a trail that now extends along Chester Creek from Bonner Park upstream to Cheyney Road.
For some time the replacement construction of the Locksley Road Bridge has hindered maintenance and use of the trail between Locksley and Station Roads. It is not clear if this will be completed in time for this spring's activities but currently many other opportunities for future trail construction have opened up.
One of the most interesting of these opportunities is to extend the existing trail from its termination at Cheyney Road, through the Cheyney University woodland south of Chester Creek. The trails proposed were a creek side trail from Cheyney Road to Dilworthtown Road, and a branch trail on, or immediately adjacent to the pipeline, south to Cheyney Road near Thornton Road. The extension through the University’s property to Dilworthtown Road will permit Thornbury residents on the western side of the Township to access the trail system, as well as permit Cheyney University to have a loop trail across the Dilworthtown Bridge to the Campus side. The Cheyney Road extension holds the potential of a possible extension to Thornbury Park.
Our Township Supervisors have approached the University and they have expressed an interest in exploring this possibility with us.
An "exploratory" hike to determine the potential was conducted in mid January with EAC and Cheyney University representatives.
The findings were:
- This trail system is now under review with the University and we are hopeful that it materializes and we can work together on this.
- The photos possibly overemphasize the invasive problem. The EAC, in creating trails, tries to wind through the trees and cut back small branches and invasives to arms width.