Volunteer group helping to keep bridleways open in south shropshire
Many thanks to Ted, John, Matilda, Debbie and Clare for the work on Keepers Cottage (Route R)
Thanks to Clare and Arthur for the works at Factory Lane (Route D)
Thanks to Chris, Alison and Ewald for clearing the section above the stream on Keepers Cottage (Route R)
These routes should now be much easier to use. Any problems then please let us know.
Change of date to Thursday 27th June at 6pm.
Contact Chris (info@cleeviewbridleway.co.uk) if you can come.
Ted, John, Matilda, Debbie and Clare have done a great job in clearing the path on Sunday morning. Many thanks for their hard work.
There is a section by the stream crossing that could do with some clearance. We will have a work party on Wednesday 26th June at 6pm. Contact Chris (info@cleeviewbridleway.co.uk) if you can come.
John and Ted will be taking the mower to clear Keepers Cottage bridleway (Route R) on the morning of Sunday 23rd June. We could do with some additional help with the clearance work. Meet at Keepers Cottage (southern end) at 10:30am.
We have contacted the Council Rights Of Way and hope to have site meetings with them soon to look at resolving some of the priority issues we have identified (including routes C,D, G and R).
Crammer Gutter – We have had a couple of incidents reported where riders have tried to use the route across the top of the field and had difficulty getting out of the boggy ground. This is potentially dangerous and so we have contacted the Wildlife Trust to re-visit what we can do to improve the route. Chris has meet with Clive Dean from SWT (Reserves Manager) to discuss this. We agreed that the Clee View Bridleways Group will write to the council as it is the council who are responsible for “ensuring that the surface is in a fit condition for its intended use” and it is not the landowner. We will state that we intend to make improvements to make the route safe and useable following the plan agreed with SWT in 2017. This will involve a series of cross drains to take water from the ditch at the top of the field under the path and release the water onto the field (the aim is to keep the field wet). We will also ask for support from the council with materials (drainage pipes and stone). As this is an SSI, Natural England will have to give approval for the work (which should be sought by the council). To back this up, can anyone who has tried to use the route in the last few months and had difficulties please notify the council at https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/outdoor-partnerships/report-a-rights-of-way-issue-and-feedback/
Work Parties – We need work parties as a matter of urgency to clear the Keepers Cottage (R) and Hinton (A) routes. The Keepers Cottage route will also need some improvement work where the ground has been eroded. A site visit will be arranged. A site visit will also be arranged to look at the Detton (C) route at the brook to see how we can unblock the pipes.
Please let us know if you have any preferences for when to hold the work parties (ie. evening, weekday, etc?)
John and Ted have mowed the long grass and cleared some of the worst overhanging branches. We will need to organise a work party after the nesting season to clear back the overhanging hedge.
Thanks to John and Ted.
Your help needed for a bridleway clearance work party on Sunday 19th August, Keepers Cottage – Tittford Bridge (Route R on map). The section from Keepers Cottage through the field is overgrown and narrow.
Meet at Keepers Cottage end at 10am (off the road leading down to the ford at Neen Savage).
Any questions contact John Sutton – 01746 718652.
Please note that if you are aware of any bridleways in the area that need some clearance work then do feel free to organise a work party and let Chris know so that he can put a notification on the website. This will also make sure that any work you do can be covered under the P3 group agreement with the council (thereby providing insurance cover).
Rode the Titford bridge this afternoon after the work party had done their stuff. Excellent! This is one of our longer routes and makes a lovely and interesting ride. The bridge could be a bit of a challenge but so long as you are sensible (dismount) and take your time the horses don’t seem to mind. There are helpful lengths of rope to close the gates behind you. I did clear back the nettles from the gate onto the road at Detton which is a bit narrow so take care. Also the gate by Keepers Cottage has a large log under so your horse needs to be happy stepping over this. There is a great opportunity for a relatively safe fast canter all the way from the river crossing up towards the road at Detton.
Pictures below showing the path that has been cleared (a long stretch and now so much easier to use), the stoned section we did a couple of years ago is holding up well. Shows the long term value of what we do and doing a job well. The bridge and mounting blocks which have been cleared (each end) although the mounting blocks were obviously put in by a non-rider as the steps are the wrong way round for mounting the normal way.
Many thanks to the work party today for making this route such a pleasure to use.
A tree has come down across the stream at the crossing below Windy Harbour. Some riders have created another route round the tree, but it is very slippery and awkward. I rode the route last friday and cleared some branches by hand and the original route is now usable but includes a step over some fallen branches. Will need some tidying in the near future. The situation may have changed since all the rain on Friday evening.
