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North Cedar Swamp

In 1978 the Town purchased the Rogers Property for mixed use. The property has been developed with a mix of senior and low-income housing plus the town's Senior Center. There are several ball fields on the property, plus several short trails. The trail in the back of the property off the ball fields takes you well into Cedar Swamp.

In 1990 15.3 acres of land were donated to Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) by Edward McTighe and Joseph Breen. Rutter's Brook, one of the main tributaries of the Sudbury River in Westborough, flows through this property. An eagle scout project constructed the trail bridge over Rutter's Brook in the late 1990's

Adjacent to both of these properties is land held by the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) . At the back of this property is a magnificent stand of Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), the tree that gave Cedar Swamp its name. These water-tolerant trees typically grow in swamps and bogs, often with water covering their roots and even the base of their trunks. The soft, durable, lightweight wood from Atlantic white cedars resists insects and decay. It has been prized for Native American canoes, settlers' log cabins, charcoal for gunpowder in the American Revolution, ship-building, shingles and floors, organ pipes, and pencils.

There was effort to build a handicapped-accessible trail from the Westborough Senior Center to the back of the property. Unfortunately, in 2003 all-terrain vehicles damaged the area enough that there is a significant question whether the trail can now be built.

WCLT is working to build a boardwalk from the MDC property at the back of the Rogers Property to an easement over private property to Flanders Road. This private property is on a glacial moraine, where the debris pushed forward by the glaciers was left.

Trail map

Map to Rogers Road Entrance (park at ballfields or senior center)

Newton Hill (previous segment of the Charm Bracelet)

South Cedar Swamp (next segment of the Charm Bracelet)