WEST BERKS TRACKS - REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS & PROBLEMS

TO REPORT PROBLEMS

contact:

Elaine Cox
Senior Rights of Way Officer
Countryside and Environment
West Berks Council
Council Offices
Faraday Rd
Newbury RG14 2AF.
ELCox@westberks.gov.uk
01635 519069

Elaine has confirmed that it is their policy to reply to all communications. So, if you do not receive a reply, it is worth sending the same information until you do get a response. Or our problems may never get on the priority list.

BUCKLEBURY

Bucklebury Bridleway 10c - Westrop Green to Holly Farm House.

***Still on the repair list*** This is the track with numerous sleeper bridges most of which are worse for wear. It has been on the repair list for a while and it was to be done this year. However, Elaine Cox has just reported: "I will be doing Bucklebury BR 10c, but have had to put it off again because of funds. This year is particularly bad, as we have lost the annual grant from the Countryside Agency (as has everyone) and we have no money from the Local Transport Plan. I have bid for £80,000 from the LTP for next year, though, and Bucklebury 10c is one of the projects". The way ahead here is for the Rights of Way section to get more money from the Local Transport Plan - the current version does not even mention the horse as a user of local roads! The LTP is to be revised but even so the current consultation document needs to be made much stronger in its provision for horse-riders, along the lines of LTPs in other counties. Elaine tells me that she needs all the help she can get from horse-riders to convince the WBC Highways dept that horse-riders needs need to be taken into consideration. So, lobby wherever & whenever you can! Gill Hall has just reported that after many weeks of dry weather the track is rideable but with care.

Bucklebury RUPP 20 (from the Marlston-Lower Bucklebury Rd up to Bucklebury Common).

***Work begun but postponed by request of Parish council*** This track has been seriously damaged by vehicles. Substantial repair work was started, and there are now some good stretches, but work was stopped at the request of the Parish Council.

Bucklebury Byway 51 (Briff Lane/Sadgrove Farm to Pease Hill)

***Repaired in 2003*** I rode this last year and have to admit that I would not have ridden through it if Janet Gordon, who I was riding with, had not shown me the way through the rutting. This year, I did not recognize it until Janet had told me where I was.

COLD ASH

Cold Ash bridleway 25 (off The Ridge in Cold Ash, through Salt's Copse down to Bucklebury Bridleway 10c - Westrop Green to Holly Farm House).

*** Landowner being contacted - again!*** This bridleway has been uninviting to ride for many years. Does anyone ride it? Riders in the Cold Ash area want to avoid the increasingly busy Hermitage Rd in Cold Ash (the one with the chicanes). This was brought up with West Berks Highways at the recent meeting at Cold Ash. Anticipating a question of why riders do not use this bridleway, Janet Gordon & I walked it (after a spell of dry weather) as we were not brave enough to ride it. It was rideable, in our opinion, but grim - a bit like riding through a building site! This was reported to WBC. This was the response: "Following your report, Sallie hopes to inspect this on Tuesday 15 th (July). This is a long- outstanding problem but we will put every effort into resolving it. The definitive bridleway follows the concrete driveway and is obstructed by a building - most of the problems we think are on the permitted bridleway and the owner would be liable if a horse, rider or other user were injured. This may help us to get him to sort out the Definitive line." Does anyone fancy a group ride here to make a point - oh, and with barking dogs………..???

CHIEVELEY

Oareborough Lane/Old Street/Sandy Lane junction at Oareborough Hill, north of Hermitage

*** Repaired*** This area was repaired at great expense a year or 2 ago but the repairs have been damaged by continued vehicle use. The track is set in a hollow which appears to be ideal for putting 4 x 4s through their paces, even at night, by going up and down the bank between the 2 tracks. The landowner is furious, the police have been involved and West Berks Council is trying to find a solution - but vehicles are legally allowed to use this track. I rode it last in February & found it OK to ride although there was some rutting caused by vehicles & bikes on the Oareborough Lane bit towards Hermitage.

Gidley Lane, Chieveley.

*** Partially repaired*** This track connects the east side of North Heath to the Chieveley - Peasemore Rd. It was partially repaired, at the north end, in 2002. The southern end has been repaired in time for the opening of the Three Downs Link path on 26thSeptember 2003 by the Princess Royal. The Three Downs Link is yet another riding route developed by Brenda Wickham, BHS Southern Regional Access Officer. It will link the South Downs Way, Wayfarers Way and the Ridgeway. These routes offer riders, cyclists and walkers routes which have been researched as rideable, safe routes. Leaflets are available from BHS headquarters and local authorities.

Gidley Lane is also part of the proposed Chieveley Community Circuit, a riding route conceived during the M4/A34 public inquiry to demonstrate how providing the A34 bridleway bridge would restore local routes. The idea of the Chieveley Community Circuit comes from the BHS Ride-UK initiative (www.Ride-UK.org.uk) which promotes the identification and development of safe local riding routes. Gidley Lane links into 2 riding routes already developed by Penny Reid and West Berks Council: the Ilsley Downs Riding route and the Downland villages riding route, both shown on the Explorer map. Leaflets have been available from WBC and the route has been way-marked in the past but note it may need a bit of re-marking on the ground.

Chalky Lane, Curridge

***In need of urgent repair but no funds available*** Chalky Lane runs from the Curridge -Winterbourne Rd to the A34 towards Chieveley & comes out on the A34 just south of the service station. It is the track by which the new A34 bridleway bridge will be accessed. Well, at least on paper. This track is an example of what must surely be the ultimate in vehicular damage to a byway. Even the 4x4 s are having to make a detour around one of the bottomless 'ponds' which exist on this track. Don't take your horse down there! Before the success of the A34/M4 public inquiry, this track was at the bottom of the repair list. The main users are convoys of 4 x 4 vehicles which use it particularly after wet weather. It had been hoped that there would be enough surplus spoil from the Junction 13 works to fill in the pits and ruts but apparently not. The cost of repair is estimated at over the total annual budget for rights of way repair work. So, anyone who has a serious amount of rubble to dispose of should contact West Berks to see if it is suitable. We are talking of lorry loads.

Track at Kites Abbey, on west side of A34 south of M4

***On the repair list*** This track connects Chieveley to the Snelsmore area and Curridge to Snelsmore. Both these routes will be restored by the constuction of 2 new bridleway bridges which are now underway, one over the A34, one over the A34. Rumour has it that the ruts are caused by quad bikes which emerge out of the back of transit vans. The track was usable on foot/horseback with care.

Chieveley Byway 33 - Fisher's Lane Crossing on the B4009 to Curridge Rd

***on the repair list*** This track is regularly (& legally) being used by 4 x 4 vehicles. The consequences are becoming more apparent with ruts and dips which are becoming gradually unpleasant to ride especially after rain when the depth of the ruts cannot be seen. It may have a voluntary restraint put on it during the winter but that requires approval from the 4 x 4 groups.

Chieveley Bridleway 28 - Fisher's Lane crossing on the B4009 to Rookery Farm, Curridge.

This is an example of how the surface of a bridleway can get changed for the worse. An agricultural mechanical shovel is driven along this track from time to time causing ruts which are being filled with building rubble to give a hard almost concrete-like surface. The Highways Authority (West Berks Council) is responsible for the surface of rights of way & should be consulted when changes are planned

COMPTON

***Successes***

New bridleways

You may not think of Compton as a village with traffic problems - unless you live there. Two new bridleways have been established which help riders get off the increasingly busy roads in Compton thanks to Jane Ashbridge's hard work over the last 3 years. One connects the top end of Horn Street and Churn Rd in Compton village and means that horses do not have to use Compton High St. It is a great boon to local riders but also it allows riders who might park along the concrete road at the northern end of Churn Rd to connect to the Crow's foot (see Explorer map) using the minor road past Baxters. The new bridleway replaces a footpath which used to run through the grounds of the Institute for Animal Health. The Institute felt this posed a security risk and agreed to move, and upgrade, this right of way. A great job has been done by the Institute. Post & rail fencing has been erected and hedgerows planted. Walkers have their own fenced footpath alongside the bridleway section. At the moment it has a lovely grassy surface. Be warned, there are pigs alongside but these will move in time. The track only had a footpath sign in August 2003 but this will be corrected.

The second success is a permissive bridleway which connects the Compton / Hampstead Norreys road to the Mayfield - and ultimately across this to Green Lane. At present it is has rather a lot of surface growth, so beware. There is further work to do on this route eg. signing and some clearance but it does offer a grassy, woodland link through to Green Lane. Crossing over the Hampstead Norreys Road, there is a bridleway down into the village of Compton.

Very well done to the Institute for having the foresight to include these 2 routes. If you are dreaming of a new bridleway, Jane, a town planner by profession, may be able to give you some hints for success. (ASHBRIDGE@plan1.freeserve.co.uk)

EAST ILSLEY

Bridleways south west of East Ilsley, south of Ball Pit Rd, near Oakes Bros buildings

***Problems reported*** There are two problems here. One is the access from the road which is unpleasant & difficult on horse-back. Briony Grose has reported this (summer 2003). The other is the legal status of the track. There has been an application to divert the track but legally it is not on the line as shown on the ground! Neal Pike of West Berks Ramblers is involved with trying to sort this out & can update anyone who is interested (nealandjanepike.yahoo.com).

HERMITAGE

Fence Lane - off the Marlston Rd to Westrop Green/Bucklebury Alley

***Repaired*** Complaints about this track were sent to WBC in the mid 1990's, if not before, when it was badly & deeply rutted. Inspection by WBC showed that the track being used was off the definitive legal line. This slowed down the repairs as the position of the track had to be re-instated & the area drained. Repairs took place over 2 winters, several years ago now, at tens of thousands of pounds. Legally it has to take motorised traffic & so repairs need to be able to withstand it. There is a seasonal restriction on the use of the track by vehicles with locked gates. However, shortly after the repairs were completed, Eling Estates damaged the track with their forestry work. This was brought to their attention, admitted with a promise to re-instate the damage but the track has not been fully re-instated. However, the track is fine to ride in all weathers. The surface was a bit hard and stony at first but successive leaf falls are softening the surface.

ELING ESTATES

The Eling Estate runs from Fence Wood, south of Hermitage, northwards to include Hampstead Norreys and Beedon areas. For many years, walkers and horse-riders were allowed free access to the woods south of Hermitage. A couple of years ago, this was changed and permits needed to be purchased. Linda Waller & Jeremy Sellars marked riding routes with big red arrows on trees. Recently, new management has taken over and rumour has it that the permit system is in abeyance with free access being available for horse-riders as before. There were/are a number of useful connecting links north of the M4. There is some parking. Further information from Linda Waller (lindawalliver@aol.com; 01635 2003450 or Eling Estate Office 01635 200268.

GREAT SHEFFORD

*** A dream ****

In the winter of 2003, the Highways Agency was asking for suggestions to improvements to rights of way adversely affected by motorways and trunk roads. Paul Frances from West Berkshire Ramblers asked if riders would support the idea of a bridleway underpass under the M4 just west of M4 junction 14 to connect bridleways to the south of the M4 with bridleways to the north running down to East Garston. Does anyone know the area? What do you think? For further info or to register your interest/comments or to help push this one forward contact Paul Frances on 01488 685238.

LAMBOURN

Grid ref 299 766: Footpath crossing of the M4, west of Membury Service Station.

*** A possibility???*** In the summer of 2002, two of us rode out from here, parking at a friend's house closeby. (There is also good safe parking in a lay-by -the old road). From the OS map it looked that we would have to ride on the fast B4000 to pick up the nearest bridleway. But apparently not. The locals use the bridge over the M4 which has footpath status but is built to take farm vehicles. They can then access a byway (at least on an agile mount - it was a bit tricky) which was severed when the M4 was built, with a little bit of agreed/unagreed use of a public footpath. Ideally, this footpath needs to be upgraded to a bridleway so that it appears as such on OS maps & makes this route official. It could then link into the bridleway which runs west of Kingswood Stud. Does anyone fancy taking this on? It is on the list of the Highways Agency's Vulnerable Users Crossing scheme but it is dubious whether they will pursue this one. West Berkshire Ramblers have agreed not to object to any upgrade application. Note: Tessa Rushforth pushed for bridleways in this area when the M4 was built and was partially successful but not with this one.