Sheringham Group Path Survey Notes

Ramblers' Association / CPRE - Norfolk Path Survey Notes

This survey is to record and monitor the state of our paths. We are aiming to cover the whole County in 5 years. Inevitably some surveyors will cover a path walked by someone else quite recently, but problems can appear quite quickly. We can send you 5km map squares with the path numbers clearly marked in the centre. Alternatively you can get the parish and path numbers from the County Council’s interactive map at http://www.countrysideaccess.norfolk.gov.uk/interactive-map.aspx .

Parish Names on Explorer maps are in light capital letters, the Parish Boundary being black dots. In some places these are difficult to make out on a dark back colour. You will see that footpaths change numbers as they cross the boundary. Please use a separate report form for each Parish part of the path.

Grid references: The first 3 of the 6 figures are made up from 2 marked against the grid line on the bottom or top of the map plus the 3rd being an estimate of tenths eastward from the grid line. The second 3 figures consist of the 2 marked against the grid line on the east or west edge of the map plus an estimate of tenths northward from the grid line. GPS can give more detailed references but an 8 figure reference which is within 10 metres is probably accurate enough for map identification. For help with grid references, see http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/gi/nationalgrid/nationalgrid.pdf

Signposting and waymarking: There should be some sort of sign (e.g. wooden fingerpost or disc fixed to post or fence) where a public path leaves a public road and it should indicate the type of path. The discs should have yellow arrows for footpath, blue for bridleway, plum for restricted byway or red for byway open to all traffic. The blue has now faded from many bridleway discs. Waymarks are route signs in between the ends and are usually arrows in the above colours, placed on posts at junctions or on stiles or gates.

Bridges: For bridges without handrails, note should be made if they are without a non-slip surface e.g. chicken mesh.

Stiles, gates and barriers: A common problem to note is the lack of an upright post to hold when climbing a high stile. Note if a step is too high (more than 12 inches – 30cm), or otherwise awkward. Is the fence bar too high above the top step (more than 18 inches – 45cm)? Is barbed wire left too close to the stile? If brambles or other bushes make crossing the stile difficult, use your secateurs to remove the obstruction. On bridleways and either type of byway, even with a stile, there should be an easily openable gate appropriate to the user. Report difficult gates – whether they are dropped at one end, locked, tied up. Kissing and other pedestrian gates should like stiles be free of brambles and barbed wire spikes. Note the condition of any steps and board walks. Does a boardwalk have a non-slip surface?

Obstructions: Note any problems with barbed wire, fallen trees, excessive side hedge growth, etc. Record problems with crops as stated below - do not count as obstruction.

D:\Docs\2018-01-09\0411731d51252679968a2f01b4af9f49.doc page 1 10:44 9-Apr-18 Ploughland or Crops: Where a path crosses plough or crop land a clear path should be left unobstructed. The legal minimum width for a footpath is 1 metre, for a bridleway 2 metres and for a byway 3 metres. Crops and ploughing should not encroach on field-edge paths, where footpaths should be allowed 1.5 metres and bridleways and byways of either type should be 3 metres.

General surface condition: note whether the path is e.g. good, easy to use, difficult, very difficult, impossible, including as a result of excessive surface growth or muddiness.

Please use the space at the bottom to describe any problem(s) found or suggestions for improvement. Please also report any failures to the County Council, and highlight any dangerous problems. There is a report form that comes up from the interactive map (and it generates an email to you repeating what you have reported) or you can phone on 0344 800 8020. When reporting cropping problems, it is useful to have noted what the crop appears to be and which field it is in. All problems can be notified to the Council by these methods and a reference number will be given in reply which should be noted on the form to signify that the problem is in the NCC reporting system.

The completed survey forms can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to Ken Hawkins, 26 Hillfields, Dereham, NR19 1UE who will also be happy to provide any further advice you might need.

Thank you for your help Ian Mitchell, RA Footpath Co-ordinator October 2012

Further Work

Having recorded some problems on paths, you may feel that you could do more to correct them.

While the removal of bushy obstructions as you go along (e.g. around stiles) is permissible, a more systematic cutting back to clear a wide passage needs the permission of the landowner or farmer.

Protruding barbed wire spikes on posts at a stile or gate can be banged into the posts. Total removal of barbed wire spikes needs 2 pairs of pliers to grip and unwind them. The removed spikes should not be left on the ground as they could be a hazard to animals and humans. Again work on a fence should have the permission of the landowner or farmer.

The County Council says that it can let us have a supply of path marker discs to replace those that are broken or faded. Where the finger has been broken off a fingerpost, a marker disc may be fixed to the remaining post to indicate the way.

In all this work it would be good practice to inform the parish council concerned and ask if you can act as their agent, so that your work would be covered by their public liability insurance. They may also know who is the landowner or farmer. You might even volunteer to be a path warden for that parish, and to give an annual report to them on the state of their paths. This should raise the awareness of the paths amongst the parish councillors. CPRE Norfolk are acting as co-ordinators of the footpath warden network, so please contact them if you are already performing this role in your parish, or are considering the role: [email protected].

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