North Bucks rRIPPLE (ramblers Repairing & Improving Public Paths for Leisure & Exercise) Activity Report 1 June 2017 – 27 August 2017) Copies of before & after photos of all work are available on request. Man hours include some travel time. DaG = Donate a Gate. CAMS is a reference used by BCC for work requests. All work is requested and authorised by Alastair McVail, BCC North Bucks PRoW Officer, or Jon Clark, BCC Access Officer. OPAG = Oving Paths Action Group. PG = Pedestrian Gate (eg Marlow); KG = Kissing Gate (eg Woodstock).

2/6/17 Oving. Jerry Michell attended OPAG meeting. 36 miles in total included touring of potential DaG sites. 3.0 man hours.

5/6/17 Kingsey Bristol Gate at SP728066 in Oxfordshire. Tel call/message from Michael Clark, farmer and landowner agreeing to installation.

6/6/17 Ramblers HQ - George Redmayne’s Blog. Made a couple of corrections to his blog. Asked Aylesbury Ramblers to update their website to explain the Donate a Gate scheme is a Ramblers Area initiative and not a BCC one, although it’s supported by BCC.

6/6/17 Wing Circular Walk. Aylesbury & District Ramblers walked this but found significant over growth problems in the vicinity of Waterloo Farm. Maurice Crump reported back.

8/6/17 Wing Circular Walk. Sent email to all Wing contacts reporting the problems found by Maurice Crump, Aylesbury Ramblers, and suggesting possible ways forward. Also reported the problems to Alastair McVail.

8/6/17 Pitchcott – Matthew’s Way. PIT/1/1 at SP774206. Received CAMS 84960 from Rose Gibbard as requested 30/5/17 for stile to Aston Gate for landowner Robert Hunter.

9/6/17 Wing Circular Walk. Mike Dinnen, Wing Simply Walks, responded to email about problems found. Sent him contact details of three land owners/tenants and a gardener who might be helpful.

12/6/17 Kingsey Bristol Gate at SP728066 in Oxfordshire. Called Bev Topper of McVeigh Parker & Co Ltd for delivery date of gate. Expected week beginning 19/6/17.

12/6/17 Great Horwood. Various emails regarding land owners contact details and their preferences for kissing gates.

13/6/17 Preston Bissett. PBI/4/10 CAMS 84161 at SP664292 Location 3 on BCC Map. Dismantled extremely awkward four rail, no steps, barrier “stile”, trimmed hedge, installed Marlow gate, complete with two 1.8 m x 100 x 100 MC4 15 year treated posts, secured with coach bolts and tamped in with 10-20 mm gravel and 40 mm stones. Detached and reinstated sheep netting to north west side of gate. Fitted Improved by Ramblers decal. 2 x 7 = 14 man hours. AB (B4P + J3 x 1/2P) 53 miles via CRFC + Allen from Aston Clinton to Haddenham 24 miles.

13/6/17 Preston Bissett. PBI/4/10 CAMS 84162 at SP665291 Location 4 on BCC Map. Dismantled three rail, sheep-wired i.e. dog-unfriendly two-step stile, trimmed hedge, installed wide Marlow gate, complete with two 1.8 m x 100 x 100 MC4 15 year treated posts, secured with coach bolts and tamped in with 10-20 mm gravel and 40 mm stones. Detached and reinstated sheep netting to south east side of gate. Fitted Improved by Ramblers decal. 2 x 7 = 14 man hours. DJ.

15/6/17 Gates. Emailed Rose Gibbard, BCC, to request five more kissing gates.

15/6/17 Oakley 28. Emailed Alastair McVail for a progress report. No response received.

16/6/17 Postsaver Europe Ltd. Made enquiries regarding these products that the Chiltern Society use.

19/6/17 Westcott Bristol Gate. DaG work party cancelled (Postponed) due to excessively high temperature over 30ºC. Emailed Alan Lambourne, Clerk, to tell him, as PC meeting due 20/6/17.

19/6/17 Oving OVI/9/1 at SP 785217. Fitted plaque to gate.

19/6/17 Wing Circular Walk. Malcolm Oliver said the BCC tenant farmers need to be aware of their obligations:

19/6/17 Postsaver Europe Ltd. Ordered ten for 100 mm square posts after seeing them in use at Greys Court by the Chiltern Societyh.

28/6/17 Westcott WES/21/1 CAMS 84594 at SP721171. Replaced awkward old style “Bristol” field gate that had two embedded stile steps with a modern Bristol gate with a small pedestrian gate embedded within it. Removed rotten 200 x 200 above-ground gate post. Dug out using two-stroke jack hammer the base of the 200 x 200 gate post that was embedded in “PostCrete”. This took the best part of four hours and was, as expected, very difficult and very hard work. Eventually installed new 2.4m x 200 x 200 Redwood UC4 15 year Briants gate post tamped in with stones and hard core. 24 man hours BDJK (J4P) 24 miles via CRFC.

30/6/17 Kingsey Bristol combination gate installation at Keepers Cottage at SP728066. Received confirmation that gate had been delivered and went to inspect.

30/6/17 Thornborough THB/11/1 CAMS 83446 at SP733353. Requested and received photos of front and back of offending stile from landowner Robert (Mac) McKenzie of Mill House who subsequently offered and agreed to fund three DaGs on his land for the price of two at £500.

3/7/17 Kingsey at SP728066 in Oxfordshire. Bristol Gate installation at Keepers Cottage. Removed old six bar gate complete with its single awkward step and installed new Bristol gate complete with specially fabricated spacer/adapter. Able to retain and reuse latch on latching post. 2 x 1.5 = 3.0 man hours. B/J (B1P) 10 miles. Met with farmer/landowner Michael Clark who was pleased with the resulting installation.

5/7/17 Westcott WES/21/1 CAMS 84594 at SP721171. Fitted second gate hinge to Bristol gate installed on 28/6/17. Adjusted gate to rest on latch. 3 x 0.5 = 1.5 man hours

5/7/17 Westcott. Met with Colin Bates who has WES/15/2 passing through his land. Gave him sufficient recovered timber posts and step plates for him to refurbish one of his dilapidated stiles himself. Received in lieu, £15 for work party refreshments.

5/7/17 Oving OVI/20/1 CAMS 84859 at SP781213. DaG from Ambrose McGinn. “For our wonderful dog Heidi who loved the Oving fields”. (Plaque fitted 22/8/17.) Dismantled awkward two step stile and installed Marlow gate c/w two posts; reinstated three rails to south side. Used two Post Saver sleeves for the first time. 3 x 5 = 15 man hours. BDK (Colin Bates of Westcott 3P + 1 for Jerry) 27 miles.

7/7/17 To CRFC to load up trailer. 10 miles. 9/7/17 Whitchurch. Received email from Caroline Heron, Whitchurch parish councillor asking about NB rRIPPLE’s activities and for advice on getting footpath network improvements completed. Sent her various contacts in Oving, Weedon and BCC.

10/7/17 Thornborough. Robert (Mac) Mackenzie, a DaG donor for three gates, confirmed standard 110 cm clearance Marlow gates will be acceptable. He contacted adjacent landowner and confirmed access agreed for Disco & trailer to his stiles. 11/7/17 Oving OVI/20/1 CAMS 84664 at SP780214. DaG from Jean Storey. “In memory of Bill and Olive Dalton”. Dismantled one step stile and installed Marlow gate c/w two posts fitted with Postsaver sleeves tamped in with stones. Retained fence post and strainer on east side and reattached barbed wire and sheep fencing to newly installed post on west side. Positioning of gate in fence line, governed by the extent to which the concrete bridge protruded into the field. Fitted DaG plaque and way markers. 3 x 5.5 =16.5 man hours. ABD (D3P) 25 miles. Allen 24 miles return from Aston Clinton.

13/7/17 Thornborough THB/11/1. Received from BCC CAMS 85141/2 for two Marlows at SP731352 & SP730351. These are DaGs courtesy of landowner Robert (Mac) McKenzie or Mill House and will be completed together with CAMS 83446 at SP733353.

13/7/17 BCC Outstanding Jobs. Responded to Alastair McVail to explain position wrt 15 jobs.

14/7/17 To Impact signs to pick up eight DaG plaques. 15 miles. 1.0 man hours.

12/7/17 Oving OVI/20/1. Received appreciative email from the founders of OPAG.

21/7/17 Kingsey Bristol combination gate installation at SP728066. Photo-call with two of the sponsors to celebrate the new gate with its Donate a Gate plaque fitted. This is NB rRIPPLE’s first foray into Oxfordshire. 10 miles.

L-R standing behind the gate are Bob Ward, Thame & Wheatley Ramblers Chairman; Andrew Gordon sponsor of the spacer adapter; Bill Piers & Jerry Michell of North Bucks rRIPPLE.

Andrew Gordon of Haddenham and

Bill Piers stand either side of the galvanised spacer adapter that was A reminder of what was there before with its single fabricated in Haddenham. step welded to the second bar off the ground.

23/7/17 Oving OVI/21/1 and OVI/25/1. emailed OPAG members and landowner Philip Hodges to say a timber kissing gate would be installed on 26/7/17 at SP788213 per CAMS 85040 per agreement of interested parties. Received email from Philip Hodges saying he had agreed a metal kissing gate.

24/7/17 Jerry Michell, NB rRIPPLE/OPAG liaison contacted the interested parties and the following was agreed per map below:

24/7/17 Oving OVI/25/1 at SP790212 per CAMS 85041. Prepared timber KG for installation on 26/7/17. Fitted Postsaver sleeves to five posts; drilled and used chisel to correct position of a rail slot in one post that was in wrong place. Attached gate fittings to gate. 2.0 man hours. BK.

24/7/17 Oving OVI/9/1 at SP786217 per CAMS 85034. Jerry Michell contacted Tony Tutt, Oving landowner, who agreed to fund the new timber gate here which had provisionally been allocated to Oving PC. OPAG agreed to re-allocate that funding to elsewhere. DaG application form mailed to Mr Tutt.

26/7/17 Oving OVI/25/1 at SP790212 per CAMS 85041. DaG from Mrs Brenda Ball – no personal plaque requested so NB rRIPPLE plaque fitted instead. Dismantled stile at top of slope out of field below. Two steps one side, three on the lower side. Installed Oxford timber "Vee" style kissing gate. Fitted way marker. 3 x 7 = 21 man hours BDJ (B3P) 25 miles.

28/7/17 Kingsey Bristol combination gate installation at SP728066. Thame Gazette and Bucks Herald reports:

29/7/17 Picked up from Helpful Hirings, Thame, recalibrated CAT (Cable Avoidance Tool) and Genny (Signal Generator) given to us by BCC on 20/7/17. Recalibration total cost £144.00.

1/8/17 Gate costs: John Esslemont, Area Treasurer, asked if we had a feel for the average cost of a gate installation. After some calculating, assuming we actually bought the gates rather than receiving them free-issue from BCC, a Marlow comes out at around £242.67 and a Woodstock at £376.82. Both these are galvanised metal gates.

1/8/17 Tools and Ramblers insurance. emailed Delivery Officer George Redmayne to enquire whether we are covered by the Ramblers’ insurer when we use our two-stroke jack hammer and if so whether we can claim back the cost of it – around £300 including additional tools.

2/8/17 Great Horwood GHO/6/1 at SP767312 per CAMS 85283. DaG from Mrs Sue Renshell, Chair of AVDC, whom we met on site. Some confusion wrt wording of her plaque which was subsequently changed to her satisfaction. Dismantled dilapidated and wobbly one-step stile and installed Woodstock kissing gate c/w one 1.8 m x 100 x 100 UC4 15 year Redwood post c/w Postsaver sleeve tamped in with stones; reinstated fencing stapled to new post; fitted Improved by Ramblers plastic plaque; made up sloping ground level with buckets of soil to ensure gap beneath corral was no more than around 75 mm as field used for sheep. Re-hung the adjacent field gate onto bottom hinge. 3 x 6 = 18 man hours BJK (K3P) 50 miles inc. collection of gate from CRFC.

2/8/17 Great Horwood GHO/6/1 at SP768312. Jerry also cleared overgrowth around stile in corner of field. This is a potential DaG.

3/8/17 Great Horwood. Ordered two plaques from Impact Signs for Sue Renshell and Great Horwood Parish Council to be ready for 14/8/17. 7/8/17 Great Horwood GHO/2/1 at SP764305 per CAMS 85282. Woodstock kissing gate programmed for Wed 16/8/17. Great Horwood PC DaG. Sent email to land owners to see if they’d be interested in sponsoring the difference between the £250 received from the PC and the £387.38 calculated average cost for the installation of a Woodstock kissing gate.

9/8/17 Oving OVI/9/1 at SP786217 CAMS 85034 for wooden pedestrian gate to replace awkward stile. DaG originally to be by Oving PC, however, today received £250 cheque from Anthony Tutt for a DaG this location. Jerry updated Vanessa Wiggins, Oving PC, on recent developments and suggested FP1 at SP786225 as a contender for the PC DaG.

10/8/17 Ramblers insurance. George Redmayne added John Nicholson and Andrew Hearsey to our regular five team members. He confirmed Bill Piers, who has a chain saw cross-cutting qualification, is covered by Ramblers’ insurance to use the chain saw. He is following up on insurance of the jack hammer and the CAT (Cable Avoidance Tool) and Genny (Signal Generator).

11/8/17 Centrewire. Received delivery of 5 Marlow PGs and 3 Woodstock KGs.

11/8/17 Westcott PC. Received appreciative email from the clerk for their DaG.

11/8/17 Westcott WES/33/1 at SP720167 – see map above. email back to Alan Lambourne suggesting this could be a potential DaG.

13/8/17 Aylesbury Ramblers’ 3rd DaG to go on Outer Aylesbury Ring (OAR). Bob Turner called to say they have sufficient funds to sponsor another DaG on the OAR. We already have a plaque.

16/8/17 Great Horwood GHO/2/1 at SP764305 per CAMS 85282. Great Horwood PC DaG. Dismantled three rail, no-step, south end-of-footbridge barrier and installed Woodstock kissing gate c/w 1.8 m x 100 x 100 UC4 15 year post c/w Postsaver, tamped in with stones. Made good ground level and sheep fencing either side. Cleared nettles at north send of footbridge around existing Marlow pedestrian gate. Used jack hammer to break through a line of concrete about 50-75 mm thick when excavating trench for gate cross bar. 4 x 6 = 24 man hours. BDJK. (J4P). 45 miles including return via Oving.

16/8/17 Oving OVI/9/1 CAMS 85034 at SP786217. Carried out cable avoidance tool (CAT) check of area where a wood gate c/w two wood posts are proposed. Significant electrical services located. 4 x 0.5 = 2.0 man hours. It was deemed wise to decline this particular job due to the potential risks involved. Composed email to BCC.

16/8/17 Oving OVI/1/1 (CAMS tba) at SP786225 Recce of DaG, potentially for Tuesday 22/8/17. 4 x 0.5 = 2.0 man hours. 17/8/17 Oving OVI/1/1 at SP786225. Tel con between Jerry and land owner Mark Ponsford. He’s not keen on a gate, believes there’s little wrong with his existing stile (see pictures from both sides of stile below) and maintains he’s not been kept “in the loop” wrt OPAG’s wishes and aspirations. Subsequent tel con between Jerry & Vanessa Wiggins of OPAG and this issue referred back to OPAG.

16/8/17 Pitchcott – Matthew’s Way. PIT/1/1 CAMS 84960 at SP774206. Further to our conversation on 8/6/17 with land owner Robert Hunter, we discussed, over a beer in the garden, see picture below, this potential DaG with Paul Mitchell, landlord to the Black Boy, Oving, who there and then completed a DaG application form.

16/8/17 Great Horwood DaG GHO/2/1 at SP764305 per CAMS 85282. Sent before and after photos to BCC, Ramblers, NB rRIPPLE team and to Ash Sahdev, land owner. Mr Sahdev responded to say he was very pleased and would contact the parish council wrt a donation towards our costs, further to our email to him sent on 7/8/17.

18/8/17 Westcott WES/33/1 at SP720167. PC clerk Alan Lambourne requested a costing for a kissing gate here as a potential DaG. Sent him costing breakdown – see 1//8/17.

18/8/17 Newton Longville. Jerry emailed Ian Whipp whom he met at the LAF in Winslow to see if Newton Longville might want some DaGs.

18/8/17 Centrewire Invoice. 3 Woodstock + 5 Marlow + delivery = £1,821.60. Paid 23/8/17.

19/8/17 Aylesbury Ramblers delivered cheque for £250 for another OAR (Outer Aylesbury Ring) DaG. 21/8/17 George Redmayne of Ramblers Central Office came back with some emailed answers wrt insurance. Bill is insured to use the chain saw; the jack hammer is not insured; it may be possible to insure the CAT & Genny. All rather complicated.

21/817 OPAG desired permissive path between OVI/20/1 and NMA/12/1 on Matthew’s Way. Venessa Wiggins requested a marked up map (see below) showing the permissive path that she can discuss with the land owner.

Dotted line shows what would be a very useful and helpful permissive path, particularly for linking Matthew’s Way (NMA/12/1) and the Black Boy pub - PH on the map.

22/8/17 Pitchcott DaG on Matthew’s Way PIT/1/1 CAMS 84960 at SP774206. Dismantled awkward (high) two-step, three rail stile. Installed wood Aston gate without its Easylatch. Hung gate on existing 200 x 200 gate post supporting a five-bar gate at top of drive to Pitchcott Hill Farm. Used one 560 mm offset band at top of gate and one 75 mm offset band at bottom of gate. This provided very good self-closing. Fitted 12 mm hoop to gate and Aston gate latch to post. Installed one recycled 1.8 m x 100 x 100 post c/w Postsaver sleeve and yellow plastic way marker cap. Reinstated rails and post/newspaper boxes. Used CAT to check for cables. 4 x 5 = 20 man hours (ABJ Andrew) (A4P). 28 miles. Plaque design agreed:

22/8/17 Oving OVI/9/1 CAMS 85034 at SP786217. Further to decision above on 17/7/17, instead of installing a gate the awkward one-step stile was converted to a gap with a low step- over barrier. This was done at the request of OPAG as an interim solution until BCC install a gate. If the gap solution is deemed acceptable as a permanent solution BCC will be asked not to install a gate. 4 x 1.0 = 4.0 man hours.

22/8/17 Date for next OPAG meeting with Jerry in attendance confirmed for 8/9/17.

23/7/18 22/8/17 Pitchcott DaG on Matthew’s Way PIT/1/1 CAMS 84960 at SP774206. Alastair queried why we’d relocated the gate to the end of the fence instead of putting it exactly where the stile had been. Replied to say hanging it off the adjacent five bar gate’s 200 x 200 post made for a really neat installation and the difference was only about 2 m. 24/7/18 Oving OVI/9/1 CAMS 85034 at SP786217. Alastair emailed Sue Severn, Oving PC Clerk, to explain that the gap was not acceptable, describing it as a contraption, and that all the woodwork will need to be removed. His suggestion is that a pair of offset railings could be installed by BCC if Oving PC wants something at the end of the path due to safety concerns.

26/8/17 September issue of South East Walker published:

NB rRIPPLE on site man hours – includes a S2Gap / S/KG Dog S2PG S2KG WayMk proportion of travel time Bridge repair Latch Post DaG DaG 224 for period 30 Jan 2015 – 6 Aug 2015 2G 11 9 3 0 1 0 2 66.5 for period 13 Aug 2015 – 17 Nov 2015 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 72 for period 18 Nov 2015 – 16 Jan 2016 1B 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 74 for period 17 Jan 2016 – 15 Mar 2016 1G 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 120.25 for period 16 Mar 2016 – 11 Jun 2016 0 0 0 7 0 1 0 1 133 for period 12 Jun 2016 – 14 Aug 2016 1G 0 0 6 1 1 1 0 142 for period 15 Aug 2016 – 21 Sept 2016 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 104 for period 22 Sept 2016 – 13 Nov 2016 0 1KG 0 1 1 0 3 3 94 for period 14 Nov 2016 – 31 Dec 2016 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 271 for period 1 Jan 2017 – 31 Mar 2017 0 0 0 5 3 1 5 0 216 for period 1 Apr 2017 – 31 May 2017 0 0 1 7 0 0 5 0 185 for period 1 Jun 2017 – 27 Aug 2017 1 0 0 2 5* 0 4 0

Totals 1B + 3G 12 15 45 12 4 22 7 *Includes for two Bristol Combination Gates. S2PG etc = Stile converted to Pedestrian Gate

Total number of gates installed = 81 of which 32 have been DaGs.

Signed: Bill Piers Co-ordinator NB rRIPPLE and Donate a Gate Scheme Organiser [email protected] Mobile 07799 110128

Work in progress:

See our web page www.Bucks-wmiddx-ramblers.org.uk/donate-a-gate

Before and After Photos:

13/6/17 Preston 13/6/17 Preston 19/6/17 Oving DaG 28/6/17 Westcott DaG Bissett PBI/4/10 at Bissett PBI/4/10 at OVI/9/1 at SP 785217. WES/21/1 at SP664292 SP665291 Fitted plaque to gate SP721171

5/7/17 Oving DaG 11/7/17 Oving DaG OVI/20/1 at SP781213 OVI/20/1 at SP780214

3/7/17 Kingsey DaG: Bristol Gate installation at Keepers Cottage in Oxon at SP728066

7/8/17 Westcott DaG WES/21/1 at

2/8/17 Great SP721171 26/7/17 Oving DaG Plaque fitted OVI/25/1 at Horwood DaG 16/8/17 Great SP790212 GHO/6/1 at Horwood DaG SP767312 GHO/2/1 at SP764305

22/8/17 Pitchcott DaG 22/8/17 Oving on Matthew’s Way OVI/9/1 at SP786217 PIT/1/1 at SP774206 Close ups of use of two offset bands Alastair explained that this “gap” does not conform and needs to be dismantled. A pair of offset rails installed by BCC is probably going to be the long term solution.