Save Our Ruined Right Of Way

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE GCC TO MOVE A FOOTPATH SIGN?

One month? Two months? Three months?

We're at almost four months - and counting.

When walking on the Winchcombe Way past Humblebee Cottages last week, we discovered the Right Of Way sign that was moved 'illegally' by the landowner back in February, has still not been returned to its correct site.

In May, GCC Rights of Way, told us the sign would be returned to its rightful place. However, this ROW footpath sign on Corndean Lane/Brockhampton Road is still directing walkers along the landowner's 'new' gateway entrance- which is NOT the ROW.

In an email to SORROW on May 12th, a GCC ROW Officer told us:

"The landowner has moved the signpost on ASU14 which formerly was positioned on the opposite side of the road. I am making arrangements for it to be moved to the south slightly. He did not have our authority to move the sign."

We all know the public Right of Way follows the lane to Humblebee Cottages - and SORROW believes it should be signed as such.

Despite there now being a field gate and a cattle grid across the ROW, this is still the legal route and has been for at least 70 years and everyone has a right to use it if they wish.

SORROW fears that if this ROW sign is not returned to its original and correct position, the route created by the landowner, will become the unauthorised footpath, a diversion made without public consultation or notice.
If one landowner can do it, and get away with it, why shouldn't others?

PETITION RESPONSE FROM SORROW

Below is the letter we sent in to Mr Alan Bently Principal Rights of Way Officer at GCC. It takes issue with various points made in his response to our petition, and clarifies locations about which he was unclear.
We received an email acknowledgement over the weekend and will be hearing from Mr Bently again in the next couple of weeks.

Dear Mr Bently,

Apologies for the long time that has elapsed since receiving your reply to our petition and thank you for your response.

However, we were very disappointed by the letter’s tone and some of its content. We found it rather dismissive and unsympathetic. It also came across as defensive of, and heavily biased towards, the landowner.

Considering more than 2,500 members of the public signed this petition and that this landowner is probably breaking the law, we found your response quite astonishing.

The landowner claims he has been liaising with GCC RoW for several years. He also claims to have shown a RoW officer “an old photograph” of the field. Please can you confirm if this is the case? If so, SORROW would like to know:

1. Were these changes to the Winchcombe Way at Wadfield
Farm made with the prior knowledge of GCC RoW?
2. We would ask why if changes were proposed, the required
statutory notices from GCC RoW weren’t put up giving the
public the opportunity to give their views on the proposed
diversion/surface removal/changes?
3. Our understanding is that a RoW surface is the property of
GCC, in which case how can this be lawfully changed without
your permission?

SORROW takes issue with some of your responses and I will deal with them one by one.

Point 1: The track.
You state: “Historically it was surfaced with building waste, including large prices of concrete. At one point a few years ago, I was told, a woman slipped and broke her ankle on the surface and had to be air lifted to hospital.”

We categorically refute this. The evidence we have shows the contrary. For decades local people and walkers have used this RoW. It was a well-worn and stable, walkable, hard, surface, with some small Cotswold stones. It’s been driven on by cars, it’s been used by runners and elderly walkers. It had grass running up the middle, and a scattering of wild flowers. It was what you might call a typical Cotswold farm track.

You say “you were told that at one point a woman broke her ankle on the track.” Was this reported to GCC RoW, and if so, when?
If not, this is simply hearsay from a third party. If this incident is true, it is one walker from thousands and is still no reason to remove the Cotswold track that formed this RoW surface.

Point 2: Barbed wire:
We are pleased the landowner has set back the wire on the sloping part of the path.
However, there is still a large amount of what we believe is dangerous and unnecessary barbed wire on the Brockhampton Road new entrance – an area, according to your letter, you do not appear to have seen.

Point 3 and 4: We are pleased to learn new signs are going up and that the extra stile will be removed. As of now, the original stile (halfway up) has been only partly removed, the steps remain, whereas the new stile at the bottom of the slope is still in position. If the original stile is to be removed (and the new one left), can we ask that is goes in its entirety? It is currently an obstruction.

Point 5: Er****on of a low gateway.
You say you are “unclear precisely where this is.”
In which case you may be unaware of all the work the landowner has done changing the RoW off Brockhampton Road.
This ‘new low gateway’ is a separate entrance that has been created by him. He has actually diverted the Right of Way here to the side and put in a new low cross bar and entrance gate and fenced path, bordered by several rows of dangerous and unnecessary barbed wire.

This is a major change to a RoW. As far as we are aware by law, this should have been consulted upon and received RoW permission to install.

Point 6: Re-siting of the RoW sign
You are confusing the locations. The entrance to which we refer is off the Brockhampton Road (at the top of the hill above Wadfield Farm), NOT at the OLD Brockhampton Road, which is in a different location at the bottom of Wadfield Farm.

At this location, the RoW sign has been moved from its original position across the road to the other side of the road, to sign the new, low entrance (mentioned above). The landowner has also installed a field gate and cattle grid across the route of the RoW.

As some time has now elapsed, perhaps you have had chance to revisit the site and see the changes we are discussing.

LONE FEMALE WALKER 'TERRIFIED' ON WINCHCOMBE WAY

The SORROW page received this message a week ago, from a Cheltenham woman who was walking alone on the Winchcombe Way at Wadfield Farm. We suggested she report the incident to police.

This is a private message so the woman's identity is not being disclosed. These are her words unedited and what she says took place.

This is the fourth message of this kind that SORROW has received from people saying they've been verbally abused, intimidated and frightened, when using this section of the footpath. We've suggested to all of them that they report their claims to the police.

NB: The picture is posed by a model.

APR 23, 2021, 7:19 PM

"Hi, I came across your page after a quick google of ‘abuse on Winchcombe Way.’

Today I walked down this way, past Wadfield Farm, and because there was no signage, I unknowingly left the path.

Walking towards the gate, a man (the same as in the previous comments), drove up behind me and then alongside me, screaming, swearing and shouting abuse at me.
I’m a 32 year old woman who was walking alone. He called me awful things, and then proceeded to drive ahead and park in front of the gate. He then got out and continued to hurl abuse at me before driving away.

I’ve honestly never been so terrified in my life and now feel extremely fearful about walking alone and making a wrong turn.

I’m so thankful that this page exists and I’ll now read through it. Thank you."

Petition delivered with 2,509 signatures - thank you!

It's been a while since we posted here on the SORROW page so our apologies for that.

SORROW delivered your petition to Rights of Way at Shire Hall in March - thank you so much to everyone who signed it and who continue to support this campaign.

The reply we received from Shire Hall to our petition was far from satisfactory and is posted below, should you wish to read it.
We have responded to it and will post that shortly too.

Much is going on behind the scenes and we are delighted to be working closely with the Ramblers and a representative from the Open Spaces Society. They are of course very well-versed with Rights of Way issues and have much experience and expertise to support our campaign.

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR BARBED WIRE FENCE

We're pleased to see a small, but positive step has been taken since the launch of our campaign.

The two lines of barbed wire that lined the narrow fencing on the steep track up/down the hill past Wadfield House, have been moved.

One line has been replaced with plain fence wire. The second line of barbed wire, though still there, now runs through arms that point away from the path towards the saplings, so are not quite so close to walkers.

Whether barbed wire should be used at all on this narrow, enclosed path with a camber, remains to be seen.

We are pleased that this - and all the other issues raised by SORROW - are now being actively investigated by GCC Rights of Way, in liaison with the Ramblers Association and the Open Spaces Society.

Updates on various RoW meetings are expected in the next couple of weeks so we'll keep you updated as soon as we have any further news.

TOWN COUNCIL BACKS SORROW CAMPAIGN

Winchcombe Town Council last night voted unanimously to support the aims of the SORROW campaign.

Councillor Phil Parker, who presented the proposal, told the meeting, he'd walked the path to see the issues for himself.

He said he discovered barbed wire; an awkward camber; new gates; a cattle grid; misleading and missing signs; areas fenced off and Rights of Way that had been moved or diverted without permission.

"Walkers are not welcome there, it's more like Stalag Wadfield," he said. "There's a lot of unnecessary barbed wire, one gate is sometimes padlocked and in bad weather the former track is now ankle deep in mud.

"The Right of Way in front of Humblebee Cottages has been fenced off twice and the only way across is on a track that is not a Right of Way. If the landowner gets away with what he's done so far, where will it stop?"

The meeting heard that Wadfield Farm was under the legal ownership of "a woman in her '80s" but that Mr Marcus Hoskins was the day-to-day 'owner/manager'.

Cllr Richard Wakeford suggested also enlisting the support of both Sudeley Parish Council in which part of the path sits, and of County Councillor Nigel Moore.

Cllr Parker added: "This affects tourism and leisure for Winchcombe and the enjoyment of the countryside for hundreds, if not more, Winchcombe residents. What's being done up there is appalling."

The town council needed to lobby Gloucestershire County Council Rights of Way (GCC RoW), and put pressure on them to do something about it, said Cllr Russell Parker.

"Many of us have walked these paths for years and years and there's never been a problem," said Cllr Jim Mason. "Then someone buys a property with footpaths on it and doesn't want people walking on them, so they make it a problem. I think we should ask for an update from GCC RoW."

Cllr David Gray described the situation at Wadfield Farm as "completely ridiculous." "It's damaging to the local economy and the local community and GCC RoW needs to know of our grave concerns," he said.

"It's appalling this has gone on so long." said Cllr Sue Sturgeon. "This was reported in November 2019. Has GCC done anything about this in that time? They need to know we expect them to."

In a letter to the Town Council, Sheila Talbot, Chair of Winchcombe Walkers are Welcome, said people came from all over the world to walk in Winchcombe, with holiday companies using the town as a base.

She feared that after 12 years of hard work the town - known as the Walking Capital of the Cotswolds - could lose its 'Walkers are Welcome' accreditation, due to the "selfish" behaviour of one person.

"We have been so successful that Winchcombe has appeared on national TV and radio and in numerous travel books. The differences it's made to the fortunes of the town is huge," she said.

"We try to work closely with landowners and farmers and many have benefited by offering accommodation, selling produce and receiving help with rights of way maintenance.

"Sadly a minority will do anything to deter walkers using rights of way over their property. I'm very concerned that if the Wadfield/Humblebee conflict is allowed to continue and walkers are faced with barbed wire, misleading signs and verbal abuse, our good name as a walking centre will be jeopardised.

"We cannot allow one selfish landowner to ruin the good fortunes of our very special town. I'm asking the Council to put pressure on the authorities to resolve these rights of way issues," Sheila wrote.

WWaW was not leading the SORROW campaign, but was a marketing organisation, she added.

Town councillors voted unanimously to write "in the strongest possible terms" to GCC RoW over the issues at Wadfield Farm.
They also agreed to ask County Cllr Nigel Moore to liaise with GCC RoW and report back to the next Town Council meeting on the latest situation with the landowner.

Best-selling author of "The Old Ways,: A Journey on Foot," Robert Macfarlane sums it up perfectly.

"Footpaths are mundane in the best sense of that word: ‘worldly’, open to all. As rights of way determined and sustained by use, they constitute a labyrinth of liberty, a slender network of common land that still threads through our aggressively privatized world of barbed wire and gates, CCTV cameras and ‘No Trespassing’ signs."

Sadly, increasing amounts of our once timeless Cotswold countryside are being 'aggressively privatised.'

The Old Ways DetailsWalking a thousand miles or more along tracks and holloways, drove roads and seaways in England, Scotland and abroad, Macfarlane goes in search of ‘the ghosts and voices that haunt ancient paths’, but encounters both past and present in the landscape. A journey of the imagination as well ...

TRACKING THE CHANGES TO TWO POPULAR RIGHTS OF WAY

A few people have claimed the Right Of Way past Wadfield Farm never followed the track, but went beside it.
Looking at an OS Map this ROW - now the Winchcombe Way - is clearly shown as being ON the former track, not beside it, or set apart from it.
The OS map also shows the ROW off Corndean Lane, (Brockhampton Road), goes down the drive. This is no longer the case. The hedgerow beside the entrance lane has been taken out and the ROW moved to the left, following a fenced route edged with bared wire.
A second ROW turns right off the entrance track, directly in front of Humblebee Cottages. This footpath has disappeared. It is now turfed over and the area fenced, preventing access. Instead walkers must continue down the entrance track and turn right on a track which is NOT a ROW.
These two Rights Of Way are both shown clearly on OS maps.
Both of these footpaths have been either diverted/buried/moved without public consultation or GCC authorisation.

If you've not yet signed our petition, you can do so here:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/SORROWWinchcombe

WE'RE ONLY 19 SUPPORTERS AWAY FROM HITTING 2000 NAMES

We've nearly hit the 2000 mark on our petition to Save Our Ruined Right of Way at Humblebee Winchcombe.
If you are a walker and/or countryside-lover and would like to help us keep this beautiful Right Of Way accessible and safe for the future, please take a look at our page.
Scroll down to read our objectives, the facts about the unauthorised changes to this path over the past 16 months and some less than pleasant, personal experiences of local walkers.
Thank you to everyone who has so keenly supported this campaign so far.

Save Our Ruined Right Of Way in Winchcombe This stretch of footpath from Winchcombe to Humblebee, is a much-used and popular path for walkers and visitors, both locally, nationally and internationally. It forms part of the 44-mile Winchcombe Way and is a part of a circular walking route to historic Belas Knap. It takes walkers through scenic...

HISTORIC ROUTES DATE BACK DECADES

The Humblebee Right Of Way appears on OS maps that date back many years - and this 1945 black and white image, dated January 1st, clearly shows both the track and the byway.

We've also discovered this aerial photo courtesy of Google Maps, (thank you Google, very timely). It is dated September 2019 and actually captures on camera the bulldozers at work, burying the track under 6ft of soil. If you zoom in you'll see half the track is covered (light brown), the other half, the cottages side, the original track, before it's covered.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9341274,-1.9668721,652m/data=!3m1!1e3

WADERS OR WELLIES - WALK AS AND WHEN YOU CAN

SORROW's plans for a Covid-compliant protest walk on this Right Of Way are being postponed - on police advice.
Due to the anticipated support and number of walkers who may turn up, (even with timed starting slots; socially distanced with only two people per slot); it's likely 'a gathering' could happen inadvertently. If so, we would be breaking the law and putting people at risk, which is the last thing we want. Both walkers and SORROW as the organiser, could also be fined.
When it's safe, (and if it's still required), we will organise a protest walk then.
For now, we would ask you, (if you're able), to walk the route when you can, as part of your daily exercise period. Remember this must be done within your household bubble, or if you live alone, with one other person, socially distanced.
Please do not organise a group walk.
We would suggest you only walk the route if you are physically fit and mobile, due to the slippery condition of the path, the barbed wire and the mud. Please don't put yourselves at risk in any way.
Should you, or anyone you know, face any intimidation while walking this Right Of Way, (or have done so and would like to report it now), please contact us via this page and we will put you in touch with the officer who is aware of this campaign and will take details. Thank you for your support.

If you've not yet signed our petition please find out more here:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/SORROWWinchcombe

MUM TELLS OF FAMILY'S 'TREACHEROUS TREK'

A Winchcombe mother-of-two says she was terrified that one of her children would be injured while walking the Winchcombe Way at Wadfield Farm recently.
The mum, who does not wish to be named, says the narrow, fenced in path, bordered by barbed wire on both sides was an 'accident waiting to happen.'
"I was terrified one of my children would slip and fall in the mud and badly injure themselves on the barbed wire," she said. "It runs the length of this steep, slippery path, double-stranded, on both sides and is completely unnecessary. No person or animal could get through the fence anyway and there's no livestock. It's simply a danger to the public and should be removed."
The woman, who was with her husband, son and daughter, says they are an 'outdoorsy family,' well-used to hill-walking in all weathers.
"We don't mind mud and go prepared for this on our walks, but the route down that churned up field is worse than an assault course. There's no way anyone with mobility issues could safely walk that path now. The barbed wire fencing makes it look like Fort Knox and it has completely ruined what was a beautiful Cotswold walk, to say nothing of the public safety issue."