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Appeal for Small Task Organiser

 

With the drastic cut in our Rights of Way budget this year, the work of our Path Wardens will be even more valuable.  Undertaking small jobs such as clearance and waymarking will save contractors being used for small scale work which could be costly when sites are in scattered locations and remote from public highways.

 

We have an urgent need for someone to help organise simple tasks in Parishes where the Path

Warden (maybe a lady member) is unable to carry out the job single handed.

Offers of help please to:-  Margaret Bowdery  - Tel. 01628  621110

Boundary Stone No.l9 rediscovered

 

This Boundary Stone last seen leaning precariously near the waters' edge, finally disappeared completely some years ago.   A metal probe was used to locate the buried stone last winter.  Once found,  the site was cleared ready for installation work in the spring.

The combined efforts of our Path Wardens, David Jasiewicz and David and Barbara Layzell were successfully rewarded when this Boundary Stone was finally manoeuvred back into position ready for the next Boundary Walk on Sunday 3rd October.

 

For those members who are no longer able to tackle the Boundary Walk, your help with the many jobs needed to run this event, will be very much appreciated.  Offers to: John Rowe - Tel.  01628   623283

 

Peter Nevell Memorial Viewpoint at Cliveden NT

 

Following refurbishment in the workshops of Cliveden  NT,  Peter's memorial seat has been reinstalled at the viewpoint site in the Cliveden Hanging Woods.Following a generous donation by Bridget Smith, we have been able to commission a new plaque by the original wood carver, Colin Mantripp.

 Although the views across the Thames Valley are spectacular at any time of the year, the spring time daffodils followed by the primroses are a delightful  backdrop in this sheltered bowl high up on the Cliveden escarpment.     The memorial site is best  accessed from the NT Woodland Car Park - approximately half an hour's walk on good level tracks.

 

Safety Improvements at Knowl Hill

 

The Council has recently installed a new handrail on Hurley FP.50 near Knowl Hill which is included in Walk No.l0 in our 'Rambling for Pleasure in East Berkshire'  book.  At our request, the handrail has been extended

to the top of the bank and  relocated on the east side of the path.  This will not only provide a much safer route but enable our Path Warden to keep the brambles cut  back from the footpath much more easily

 

37 year old dream comes a little closer

 

The developer for the former Stiefel site at Whitebrook Park has very generously doubled the original funding offer from £25,000 to £50,000  for the proposed footpath from  Cookham Road to the Thames Path.   This footpath was originally included in the Cookham District Plan of l973.    It will provide  an important link in two major routes, i.e. The Maidenhead Boundary Walk and the Millennium Walk.  In addition it will enable new circular walks to be created from Cookham and Maidenhead.

 

The photo shows the site of a proposed new seating area  beside the White Brook Woods in the background.

 

The Thames Path National Trail – Missing Link

 A petition signed by over l,000 walkers has been presented to the Council by Cllr. David Mackay requesting the creation of the remaining 30m of  footpath needed to provide a continuous traffic free route from Boulter’s Lock  to Maidenhead Bridge. Direct access to the Thames Path from Bridge Gardens in Maidenhead is currently obstructed by double padlocked gates. 

The new path would run along the edge of a former boathouse slipway accessed by a flight of steps from Bridge Gardens, which still exist. Evidence of the flight of steps which used to exist on the north side of the slipway can still be seen.

   Until a riverside path is provided, walkers have to cross the A4094 twice or walk in the road.    Although a 13m public footpath exists along the frontage of the old boathouse this has been used as a car park ever since it was created in l99l.         The RA are willing for this footpath to be used for car parking, providing an equal length of riverside path is created in exchange.   This would leave only l7m of additional footpath needed to complete the missing link.  The provision of a continuous riverside route for The Thames Path from Boulter’s Lock to Maidenhead Bridge has been outstanding for over two decades.  The scheme was supported by the Countryside Commission and Berkshire County Council in l990.In October l995 it became a corporate Policy of the Council and included in the Local Plan of July l999.The missing link was also included in the Path Improvement Plan approved by the Council in June 2005.  The provision of this small section of riverside path will provide an attractive and safer access to the Thames Path for  thousands of tourists visiting Maidenhead every year.