Truro’s popular Enchanted Fairy Trail is to be placed on a firmer footing, thanks to a collaboration between its creator and Truro City Council.

The trail consists of around 80 wooden houses created by John Rowe in council-owned woodland bordering the Malabar and Coosebean districts of the city.

Mr Rowe, 73, launched the trail during lockdown to boost morale, making all the fairy houses and doors himself. It has grown in popularity and was cited as a factor in Truro winning gold medals at the Britain in Bloom contest.

Truro City Council town clerk David Rodda confirmed he had met with Mr Rowe to discuss the trail’s future. “The council recognises its value to Truro, and we will work with Mr Rowe to address issues such as vandalism, and improve accessibility so it can be enjoyed by everyone,” he said.

“Britain in Bloom likes formal planting like Victoria Gardens, but also wants us to engage with people, getting them out into our green spaces. The Enchanted Fairy Trail does that.”

Occasional incidents of vandalism have caused dismay; most recently, 12 doors were ripped off houses, leaving Mr Rowe to source materials to repair them.

Mr Rowe described the collaboration with the city council as “a good thing”, adding: “I'd like the council to realise that people really want the doors, and do not want to see them vandalised, which is demoralising.

“Stricter signage would help - previously, when it has mentioned risk of prosecution, we have seen numbers go down.”

Trail fan Colin Trevorrow plans to visit the woodland ahead of May half-term to carry out voluntary repair and restoration work using materials donated by his employer, P Chapman Construction. This will include reinstating slats and handrails to make bridges safe, and working on footpaths to ensure they are slip-resistant.

Colin and his colleagues have also made fairy houses to add to the trail. “My family go up there quite a bit,” he said, “and I like to do a bit of charity work. I fully appreciate city council doesn’t have the resources to do everything, so we will step in and do it for them.”