walkerSOUTH EAST No. 114 June 2021 Six new London Greenways proposed head of the London to value and cherish our parks and Mayoral election on green spaces but we also discovered A 6 May, London Ramblers that London could really do with launched a 'Greenways' map to some new routes that would help show candidates of the impact connect them all together. and value that six new walking As Covid restrictions relaxed routes for the capital would have. during April and May we grasped The six routes - named Forgotten the opportunities to not only walk in routes for London. The criteria was Rivers, Great Eastern Parks, Counter's groups with others but also to journey connects Hampstead Heath with the Wimbledon Commons. broad but they were looking for Creek, Romford Greenway, Southern further afield. Routes and trails like Thames Path, while the Silk Stream Romford Greenway: A route some radial routes that intersected Rivers and the Five Boroughs Link - the Thames Path, Capital Ring and trail links the Heath to the London that links parks and nature reserves the Loop, Ring and Thames Path would provide walking links between London Loop were rediscovered and Loop in Barnet. connecting the Olympic Park and and to establish Greenways in the green spaces, and help revitalise the once again many of us were thankful Great Eastern Parks: A east-west roughly shadowing the CrossRail parts of London, like the east, that network of existing routes such as for all those Ramblers in the past who trail following the line of the Great line. need them most. the Capital Ring and Thames Path. were instrumental in their devising Eastern Railway from the edge of the Southern Rivers: Crossing Many parts of these proposed The proposed new routes have been and establishing. City of London to the Lea Valley and Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, routes are still under development mapped out by Ramblers volunteers Along with 18 other groups beyond. Greenwich and Bexley, this trail and it is hoped that others can be working with a coalition of like- across the capital, including CPRE Counter's Creek: Follows the would link the Thames Path with the added in coming years. minded organisations. London, Urban Good, London hidden river along the boundary River Quaggy and River Shuttle. Des Garrahan writes: We've all Living Streets, the Long Distance between Hammersmith & Fulham, Five Boroughs Link: A route been out walking locally a lot more Walkers Association, Sustrans Proposed Greenways Kensington & Chelsea and takes across the boroughs of Westminster, in the last year. We discovered London and the National Trust, Forgotten Rivers: A route that in the cemeteries at Kensal Green Camden, Islington, Hackney and new places on our doorsteps that the Ramblers in London headed a reveals rivers obscured by years of and Brompton before linking with Waltham Forest, linking the Thames we didn't know existed. We learnt consortium to devise six new walking development. The River Fleet route the Thames Path and Putney and Path with Epping Forest. New routes around Thame xfordshire's Thame & TOC), in the countryside completed it in six hours - quite Wheatley Group has around the town. a challenge to improve on! Obeen instrumental in It follows Thame Town Then in April, TOC had a creating a new walking route, Council's adoption in July 2020 baby brother called TIC, the the Thame Outer Circuit (or of a 10-year Green Living Plan Thame Inner Circuit, a four- to promote a cleaner, greener and mile circular walk route within healthier town. One of the plan's Thame. This was another objectives was to encourage objective of the Green Living walking in the countryside and Plan and was also created with it proposed a walking route the assistance of Thame & connecting outlying villages Wheatley Group members. and accessible from the town by Ruth Cornish public transport. Group member Thame & Wheatley Ramblers Tony Clark rose to the challenge and devised a 20-mile circuit Details of both routes are at using public rights of way with www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk They're off!: As soon as lockdown rules were eased at the end of March and we were permitted a few linking sections on quiet (search for Thame Outer Circuit). to walk in small groups again, we were off the starting blocks! Taking advantage of the spring roads. This was then checked and A leaflet is also available from sunshine we restarted our walks with a ramble along a part of the London Loop, through the Scadbury Manor estate in the borough of Bromley. It was a glorious day and an opportunity documented and finally unveiled the information centre in to remind ourselves how very beneficial it is to socialise with others whilst walking through our to the public in March this year. Thame Town Hall. Visitors wonderful countryside! Within the first few days at from farther afield may find it Beverley Johnston least two people had separately useful to know that the Outer Dartford & Gravesham Ramblers walked the entire route in a Circuit passes Haddenham & See also Lockdown and beyond on pages 13 to 15. Check the latest advice on walking and Illustration by Sam Osborne for the Covid-19 at www.ramblers.org.uk. Thame Outer Circuit. single day, and now one man has Thame Parkway railway station. 2 South East Walker June 2021 Parish Path Adopters in Essex - "a superb initiative" n last September's South Inspired matter. We contacted Alan Goffee, East Walker, Len Banister I was inspired by David Radford's Ramblers Footpath Secretary for Ireported on our Parish Path excellent article in the March issue of Uttlesford, who joined us on a field Adopter (PPA) programme, in South East Walker to describe my own trip to view the problems and he then which Ramblers volunteers walk experiences of being a PPA. This Essex passed the information to EH. We all the paths in a given parish Area project came at just the right received updates from EH with some and report any faults to Essex time as all group walks were cancelled surprise as they have 'set' replies, some Highways (EH). Uttlesford is one and we were all confined to walking of which had no relevance to the issue of the groups which has been most from home. Along with my husband reported. These included being able active in signing up to the scheme we decided to adopt our home parish to inspect the path within 24 hours of and below are the comments of of Stansted Mountfitchet, along with it being reported, not finding an issue, two of those PPAs. the adjoining parishes of Farnham or the issue being not as dangerous as Both authors make similar and Manuden. The work of a PPA other paths in Essex. points from different perspectives has three distinct sections: walking So here are my three top tips for and it's worth drawing them out. the paths and noting issues; adding all any budding PPAs: GPS is very useful Firstly, EH's reporting technology the information to a spreadsheet; and when checking paths as you can get hasn't been particularly user-friendly reporting issues to Essex Highways an accurate grid reference; fill in the Several problems were found along this path. Photo: Sylvia Hayes and we know that some PPAs have (EH). Each of these involves very spreadsheet as soon as possible after walking the path as even with notes struggled with it. But we have made different skills. note of the problem of course. stay at the same scale and location the memory fades over time, and be EH aware of that and as a result We worked our way through the But things have moved on. There for the next report, thereby avoiding prepared for strange replies from EH. improvements have been made, paths in each parish trying to find are 24 rights of way in the parish. having to repeatedly home in from Sylvia Hayes notably in finding the right map circular routes as much as possible, Starting in June 2020, I have the county level. for the footpath being reported and taking notes and photographs as we inspected and reported 19 so far, five At the time of writing,mud in identifying problems that have went. The most common issue was Welcomed still to go. Within the 19, problems outclasses all other path problems. already been reported, thus removing with waymark posts which had been As a first step I contacted the were found on 13, resulting in 18 Understandably, being seasonal there either knocked over, rotted away or duplication. What is encouraging parish council, who enthusiastically issue reports to EH. The breakdown is no pigeon hole for a report of were missing. The poor condition is that - like most technology - the welcomed the PPA initiative. Why within the 13 was five P1 (Safety, excessive mud. It might be possible of fingerposts, bridges and stiles less wouldn't they? Would I like to more you use it, the better you get, Impassable), four P3 (Vegetation, however to have a box to mention of a common issue but there were attend council meetings? This was and PPA coordinator Ian Glen has Waymark) and four P2 (Other). I lack of run-offs. The nearest at still a reasonable number. We only politely declined, early days, don't been very supportive. had hoped for a bigger group of P3s present is 'blocked watercourse'. came across two major issues in you know. Secondly, our two contributors since that would be fodder (sorry) for Any reader thinking about the three parishes.