Ramblers Roundup

The Ramblers Association celebrates it`s 75th anniversary this year (see www.ramblers75.org.uk ) ,  so it seems fitting to bring you a round-up of current activities.

A new campaign, Dead End, aims to name and shame the councils in England and Wales with the worst record  for footpath maintenance. A map of footpath black spots has so far highlighted Worcestershire, North Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and Buckinghamshire as being among the worst performers (but one suspects that Gedling Borough and Nottinghamshire County Councils will soon be joining them - see below).

Ramblers members and local residents in Oxfordshire are celebrating a successful 13 year campaign to keep open a footpath connecting Shiplake with the Thames towpath. The campaign came to an end when a judge rejected the landowner`s appeal against an earlier ruling.

Wales  - Ramblers Cymru`s Communities on Foot toolkit, a guide to setting up and running a sustainable community-based walking group, has proved so successful and influential that enquiries are now being received from overseas. The second phase will see the creation of a Community Walking hub at Port Talbot, with satellite hubs in nearby communities.

Wales - Ramblers Cymru is also collaborating with the Countryside Council for Wales to create a website called Activate which will list the guided walks available from 176 organisations in Wales each year.  An IPhone App is also planned to make them searchable whilst walking.

After campaigning on the issue for a mere 35 years, Ramblers members and other residents in Bath have succeeded  in the creation of a new path across the Cotswold Scarp at Lansdown.

Dartford and Gravesend Ramblers have managed to re-open a 400 metre stretch of the Pilgrim`s Way near Swanscombe after a court case backed by the town council.

Nottinghamshire Ramblers have served legal notices  on the Chief Execs of Gedling Borough Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, claiming that Gedling Borough Council has been closing footpaths without the requisite consultation for years. 

Nottinghamshire/Yorkshire border area. Worksop Ramblers are in talks with Tesco concerning rights to paths crossing the new Tesco site in the area.

Further Reading

Ramblers Revisited Again (this blog, 10 May 2010)
Ramblers Revisited (Bookshelves and Brown Ale, 13 March 2010)
After Kinder (this blog, 10  March 2010)
Rambling through Adversity (Bookshelves and Brown Ale, 10 December 2009)
Kinder Conservation and a Historic Mass Trespass (this blog, 1 November 2009)