A COUNCIL'S covenant with the armed forces will bring rewards for walkers.

The signing of the covenant in October 2012 by Monmouthshire County Council and the Ministry of Defence means a walking group in Monmouth will get £30,000 to establish a walk commemorating the local regiment embarking for France in 1914.

The town’s Walkers Are Welcome organisation has recently received the £30,000 Armed Forces Community Covenant grant which will help fund an interpretive poppy trail from the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers regimental headquarters in Monmouth Castle to the site of the former Troy Station – from where the regiment embarked to the battlefields of Flanders over one hundred years ago.

The 1.3 kilometre trail, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, will feature ceramic plaques - decorated with the iconic poppy and describing the experiences of the Royal Mons during the First World War - as well as an art installation near the former railway station.

The project was launched in the regimental headquarters on March 20th at an event attended by representatives of the regiment, town council, county council and Monmouth Walkers are Welcome. David Evans of the town’s creative agency Platform One delivered a short presentation saying that local suppliers and labour will be used where possible while regimental personnel will be involved in the fitting of the plaques and art installation, carrying out preparatory groundwork and using skills normally employed while training and on active duty.

Monmouthshire’s Chairman and Armed Forces Champion, Councillor John Prosser said: “This is a wonderful project with the potential to involve the whole community, young and old. It will relate the story of the regiment and its association with the town so that generations to come will recognise the sacrifices made by our armed forces.”

Brian Ramsey, Chair of Monmouth Walkers Are Welcome added: “We were delighted to hear that our bid was successful. We are looking forward to working with the many different community groups and the Royal Mons to bring this project to completion.”