NOTES FROM MEETING FRI 3rd SEPT 2004
of RIDERS INTERESTED IN IMPROVING ACCESS IN WEST BERKS
at the Warren, Curridge.
Present:
Janice Bridger (Curridge/Chieveley); Maggie Bridges (Beech Hill, Stratfield Saye); Candy Clarkson (Bradfield/Theale/Tidmarsh); Chrissy Davies (Bramley, North Hants); Gill Hall (Cold Ash/Bucklebury); Ted May (Ashmore Green).
Apologies:
Jane Ashbridge (Compton); Caroline Booth (Leckhampstead); Jill Coates (Crowthorne); Briony Grose (West/East Ilsley); Amanda May (Ashmore Green/Cold Ash); Sonia Mccabe (Beedon); Liz Newell-Hart (Stockcross); Jo Percy (Bucklebury); Helen Taylor (West Woodhay). Apologies to anyone missed out.
1. New introductions
Maggie Bridges and Chrissy Davies from the West Berks/North Hants border, SW of Reading, were attending following a meeting in Bramley of Mortimer Riding Club members, Petronella Nattrass, (Hants ROW officer) and Janice Bridger in August.
2. Highways Agency Vulnerable Users initiative (ie influence of trunk roads on rights of way).
In August, Janice had met with a Highways Agency representative to discuss how/if Priors Court Rd bridge, Hermitage, and the bridleway leading up to it (Chieveley 48) could be made more horse/cyclist/walker friendly. This followed from the HA initiative initiated in 2002 when all crossings of trunk roads in the area were examined for their user friendliness by the HA and user representatives. Problems and solutions known to Janice had been detailed in a document written by Janice and given to the HA in 2002. The HA representative reported that examples of action closeby were: raised parapets on a M4 byway bridge near Boxford; screening planted where Oareborough Lane meets the A34 near Beedon. Janice had heard that this scheme was now on hold but the HA representative was not aware of this.
3. New A34/M4 bridleway bridges at M4 junction 13
The M4 Bussocks Wood bridge will be open for use from Sunday 5th Sept; the A34 bridge linking Chalky Lane and Green Lane south is expected to be open on 23rd Sept. Costain would like to see how the M4 bridge rides. Penny Reid is aiming to ride it in the following week; Caroline Booth (from Penclose Farm nearby) may also & report back to Suzanne Hopes at West Berks Council. Simon Ellison(?) of Costain reported to Janice that mounting blocks (as agreed between the Highways Agency & the users in a letter of 13 Feb 2004) were not on Costain's specification. Action: Janice
4. Progress with current projects
· Cold Ash: Gill reported that she had obtained the form from the Land Registry to inquire who owned the land with the footpath from the Ridge to Westrop Green with the view to upgrading it to a bridleway to get riders off the Hermitage Rd in Cold Ash. Charge £4 per request.
· Snelsmore Common: In August, Janice had walked the Common with the ranger Keith Tomey to explore some additional routes for horses and discuss some of the issues with horse use of the Common (gates, stallion, use of unofficial tracks). Notes available from meeting. KT had some exciting ideas to improve horse riding in the area and provide an alternative to horse use on the sensitive areas of the Common: new link north on West Berks land to byway going down to A34 bridge (this would provide off road access); upgrade of footpath near Donnington Castle, part of the Lambourn Valley Way, to link the bridleway and RUPP running through the Common to provide a circular route. Gill & Janice had ridden out from Snelsmore Common car park in August, with the help of KT and had chatted informally to KTand the keeper of the Snelsmore Exmoor ponies. A volunteer working party is required to help with some path maintenance - date to be announced.
5. Review of riding areas
Two areas (Bramley/Stratfield Saye area in North Hants & Theale/Tidmarsh/Sulham/Bradfield in West Berks) were reviewed. Both had next-to-no off-road, riding networks of public rights of way, even though there were a high horse populations. Hacking took place on lanes, farmed fields with permission (but this was becoming limited) and by permit (Englefield Estate).
North Hants - Bramley/Stratfield Saye area.
Problems: A general lack of equestrian rights of way in the area. The Stratfield Saye Estate had no rights of way & was not thought to be horse-friendly. It was suspected that rights of way were not recorded in 1949 when the definitive map was drawn up. Note: could the Lost Ways project help here?
Solutions:
- A longish RUPP/byway was identified which was not being used possibly because it led to nowhere rideable. This might be a basis of a community circuit. See www.Ride-UK.org.uk . Action: Chrissy & Maggie to investigate
- Identify footpaths suitable for upgrading to bridleways.
- Look out for sites where the new Defra ELS/HLS payment for access could be used and get these into the ROWIP.
- Petronella Nattrass, North Hants ROW officer, had asked riders to identify potential routes.
Theale/Tidmarsh/Sulham/Bradfield
Problems: this area had some similar problems to the Hermitage/Chieveley area where currently two new bridleway bridges were being constructed to restore the network Problems are: the M4 and a motorway junction 12 plus a busy A340 road had badly affected riding in the area. In addition, it has almost non-existent riding rights of way network although there was potential in the Sulham area, north of the M4, where there was one good bridleway plus a number of footpaths.
Candy spoke of the need for a community circuit in this area and a personal need for access to/from the Theale/A340/M4 triangle.
Specific problems: there was no off road crossing of the M4 for equestrians or cyclists for 5miles west of junction 12. There were 3 footpath crossings, two minor road crossings and one busy road crossing (A340). This area had not been represented in the HA Vulnerable Users crossing initiative because no rider had raised it.
The RUPP running up to the M4 (which turned into a footpath) was blocked at the entrance to prevent passage. This is illegal unless the definitive map had been changed recently. Action: check
Plus points: There were BHS approved riding schools in this area: Bradfield Riding Centre, plus Hall Place, Tilehurst. Also a livery yard at Bradfield, a carriage driving school at Tidmarsh (run by the Pawsons).
Englefield estate operated a permit system that improved access and was a base for an improved circuit/access out of the area.
John Winkley had recorded a route closeby in his Round Reading Ride devised in 1992. Note: it passed through Bradfield, along Dark Lane, crossed Tidmarsh Lane and entered the west side of Pangbourne using Bere Court Lane, then over the Toll bridge. Some of these lanes would be less attractive to ride today. A route through Sulham to Pangbourne would be more attractive if the M4 could be crossed & possibly some footpaths upgraded.
To the west, this area linked in with the good riding area in the Pang Valley. Development of a community circuit/link would allow riding access to the Pang valley & the development of the Olympic ring concept of riding routes through West Berks.
A linear route might be developed to link the Wayfarers Way in the Hampshire Downs (part of the Three Downs link) to the Chilterns(see below).
Action: quite a bit of route development required here with vision. This area to be included in the West Berks ROWIP as one in need of development listing the specific improvements needed.
Consult Pawsons on what they may have done previously.
West Woodhay : In the absence of Helen Taylor, this was not discussed as planned.
6. New idea for new linear route just west of Reading from Hampshire Downs through Bramley area to Theale, Sulham & Purley/Pangbourne.
Discussion about the 2 areas above & the Three Downs link led to the idea of developing a link between the eastern end of the Three Downs link (which ends near Oakley/Hannington in the south on the Hampshire Downs) and the wonderful riding in the Chilterns with the Swans way etc.
This idea would help with development of community circuits in both the above areas and would allow circular routes from the Ridgeway/Icknield Way in the north down to the Wayfarers Way on the Hampshire Downs using the Three Downs link west of Newbury.
Great excitement ensued. Would Brenda Wickham be interested or could she offer advice on feasibility?
Such a route might help to get a safe crossing of the M4.
Involve West Berks ROW dept and Hants CC for cross county liaison.
7. Contributions for West Berks equestrian ROWIP:
· It was still uncertain when the consultation period would be starting
· It would be made clear that West Berks was composed of riding areas with different problems from just fragmentation of a good riding network to the lack of a riding network. In the absence of input from other riders, the Theale/Tidmarsh/Sulham/Bradfield area is to be used as an area where a network needs to be developed. Other areas can be included if riders come forward.
· Janice will continue to work on the equestrian ROWIP submission. She had inquired about making a verbal submission to the LAF on equestrian needs.
8. Any other business
· Discussion on the new Defra payments to farmers for access. These may/will require the sites to be listed in the ROWIP. If so, it is important to identify sites where we would like to ride and get them into our ROWIP.
· A new ride at Eling near Hampstead Norreys was on the Defra website
· Janice and a few others outside West Berks had written to Graham Cory, the new BHS chief executive to say that access and rights of way need better support from the BHS.
9. Next meeting
Janice queried whether another meeting should be held considering the low turnout this time although there had been a number of apologies. Gill and Ted thought there should be another meeting as every meeting had yielded at least one new idea. Janice thanked Gill and Ted for their consistent support. Note: quite a lot of progress was being made between meetings.
Date of next meeting: Fri 26th November, 7.30pm, Curridge