Historic Rugby kicks off its 2016 season with two events celebrating its outdoor attractions.
On March 12, Historic Rugby will host a Spring Trailbuilding Workshop. Led by Master Trail Builder Bob Richards, this workshop is geared toward novice, as well as experienced trail builders. It’s an opportunity to spend time outdoors and to help volunteers get Rugby’s network of hiking trails ready for the spring and summer months.
Participants will meet at 9 a.m. EST, in the Community Building located behind the Visitor Centre. Training and tools will be provided. Please bring work gloves, water, lunch and snacks. Sturdy shoes are recommended, as well as long pants, and clothes you will not mind getting dirty. Not appropriate for pets or small children. Registration is free, but RSVP is appreciated at rugbyeducation@highland.net.
On March 19, Friends of the Rugby State Natural Area will host the annual Eric Wilson Memorial Hike. Long time Rugby resident Eric Wilson (1935-2013) discovered Cumberland Plateau hiking while a graduate student at Vanderbilt. He was a charter member of Tennessee Trails Association, a long-time advocate for the Cumberland Trail, active in developing and maintaining trails, and encouraging hiking in and around Rugby.
The village celebrates Eric’s March 17th birthday each year with this hiking event dedicated to his memory. Registration is at 9:30 a.m. EST located at the Community Building, and hikes begin at 10 a.m. EST. The hike is free.
Historic Rugby’s other facilities also open in early March. The Visitor Centre and Commissary will begin their regular schedule starting March 10. Thursday – Saturday, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. EST and Sunday, 12–6 p.m. EST. The Harrow Road Café is under renovation with completion tentatively set for the end of March. To keep track of progress, please check out the café’s Facebook page.
Rugby was founded in 1880 with the goal of building a strong agricultural community through cooperative enterprise, while maintaining a cultured, Christian lifestyle, free of the rigid class distinctions that prevailed in Britain at the time. The village has continued for 135 years, with numerous original buildings either restored or recreated. Learn more about the history of Rugby and its unique attractions at www.historicrugby.org.
Rugby is located just off State Scenic Highway 52, 16 miles southeast of Jamestown and 35 miles from either Interstate 40 or I-75 in East Tennessee on the southern edge of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.