North Bucks rRIPPLE (ramblers Repairing & Improving Public Paths for Leisure & Exercise) Activity Report 12 June 2016 – 14 August 2016

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/Ringway Jacobs for work requests.

All work is requested and authorised by Alastair McVail, Ringway Jacobs, North Bucks RoW Officer, or Jon Clark, BCC Access Officer.

19/6/16 North Marston FP 17. Received CAMS 82270 request to replace damaged stile with Woodstock kissing gate at SP762219.

22/6/16 Wing Circular Walk Improvements WIN/6/1 at SP888232 CAMS 80339 (1 of 9 on BCC Map). Marlow gate installed to replace stile. 2 x 6.0 = 12.0 man hours. 44 miles. Photo B&A.

22/6/16 North Marston FP 12 at SP775206 and 775207 CAMS 82263, 4 and 6. Three stiles to gates request on Mathews Way. Recce on way back from Wing. Visit arranged with tenant Pauline Ricketts, tenant and horses owner. Met with lady horse rider and got information regarding land ownership.

28/6/16 North Marston FP 12 at SP775206 CAMS 82263. Trimmed hedge and removed a two- step-stile and installed one new post and one Marlow gate. Made use of NB rRIPPLE’s Land Rover Discovery for first time to pull trailer into field. Dull and dry day. Four men (ABDJ). 2 x 6.0 = 12 man hours. Photo B&A.

28/6/16 North Marston FP 12 at SP775206 CAMS 82264. Trimmed dog rose and removed a one- step-stile and installed one post and one Marlow gate. Isolated 240 V power to electric fencing control box; removed box; installed strainer post for existing fence post; re-attached box to post and strainer. Four men (ABDJ). Total of 16.0 man hours. Allen came separately from – 25 miles – paid him mileage cash - £7.00. BDJ via CRFC and back via – 30 miles. (A4P). Photo B&A.

1/7/16 Wing WIN/5/3 & WIN/5/5. Received email from Ascott Estates agreeing to two stiles being converted to timber kissing gates. Gates paid for by CPRE Bucks as DaGs.

5/7/16 Brill FP11 CAMS 78850 at SP658141: Recce by Jerry Michell re replacing stile with kissing gate. Access quite difficult with Land Rover. Discussed with Mr Honour.

5/7/16 FP MGI/6/3 CAMS 82540 at SP643232: Recce by Jerry Michell re replacing two stiles either side of sleepers bridge with 1.2 m Marlow gates. One extra post needed and six 1.0 m rails. 3.0 man hours. 30 miles – paid him mileage cash £8.40.

13/7/16 North Marston FP 12 at SP775207 CAMS 82266. Trimmed hedge and removed a two- step-stile, retaining the high post and installed one Marlow gate together with three 0.75 m long horizontal rails to one side attached to retained post. Two men (B & Keith Wheeler-Cheery for his first time out with us). Total of 12.0 man hours. 26 miles. (K2P). Photo B&A.

20/7/16 KIN/1/1 at SP729068 CAMS 81930. Trimmed hedge and removed a two-step- stile, retaining both posts and installed one Marlow gate together with five 0.5 m long horizontal rails, two to one side and three to the other attached to retained posts. Two men (B & K). Total of 12.0 man hours. 12 miles. (Jerry & Sue brought bottled beer for celebratory opening of this Haddenham U3A Tuesday Walking Group Donate a Gate installation). Photo B&A.

21/7/16 Wing FP 12 at SP879234. Stile at end of Ivy Land in Burcott. Keith Stuart emailed fellow ramblers to try and find out who the landowner is.

22/7/16 Brill FP 11 CAMS 78850 at SP658141. Tel con with Mr Honour, landowner, who agreed for us to install kissing gate on Tues 26/7/16. He said he’d courtesy contact landowner, across whose field we would have to drive.

25/7/16 North Marston FP 17 CAMS 82270 at SP762219. Made contact with Tracy Gray, Landowner and arranged to install KG on Wed 3/8/16.

26/7/16 Brill FP 11 CAMS 78850 at SP658141 – on Matthew’s Way. Used brush cutter to clear heavy overgrowth of nettles. Dismantled old one-step stile and three rails; installed Woodstock kissing gate complete with one new 1.8 m x100 x 100 mm post from stock; gate not bolted to post; reinstalled four short rails to one side; landscaped sloping land around gate; repositioned Geo- Cache box. Talked to Mrs Cartwright, landowner, who came across her field to meet us. Four men (A, B, D & J) 20 man hours. 26 miles via CRFC. (B4P – birthday). Photo B&A.

27/7/16 Brill footpaths. Emailed Roger Stone who runs Brill Bramble Bashers re potential for helping find and contact landowners for DaGs. He responded following holidays on 12/8/16 to say he’d contact PC for us. Explained that Elaine Horsey, a Brill Ramblers member had volunteered to help.

28/7/16 Brill footpaths. Contacted Dan Sullivan, Aylesbury Ramblers membership sec to put me in touch with Brill Ramblers members.

28/7/16 Wing Ascott Estates. Received go ahead from Alastair McVail that wooden kissing gates would be acceptable in this instance for the two CPRE Bucks DaGs at Points A (WIN/5/3 at SP888224) & B (WIN/1/3 at SP889221). See map.

29/7/16 emailed Dan Sullivan a wording for him to send to Brill Ramblers members to see if they might be interested in helping NB rRIPPLE find DaGs sponsors. Elaine Horsey responded 3/8/16.

31/7/16 Requested two CAMS orders for Wing Ascott Estates kissing gates from Alastair McVail.

1/8/16 footpaths. Following some emails to Ickford PC clerk and their footpath checker Peter Jordain, talked to him on the telephone and discussed potential for DaGs in Ickford.

3/8/16 North Marston FP 17 CAMS 82270 at SP762219. Dismantled dilapidated double stile, trimmed back hedges both sides, installed Woodstock kissing gate, reassembled sheep netting and associated posts and rails. Met and chatted to landowner Tracy Gray. She showed interest is DaG near the road at SP761218 (Hillview Paddock). 3 x 7 = 21 man hours – A, B & K. 26 miles. (A3P). Allen claimed £6.00 bus fare Aston Clinton to Haddenham.

6/8/16 SRE/14/4. CAMS 81601, 81602 & 81198. Recce to confirm access and to see what needs doing to replace damaged stiles and to leave a gap. 1.0 man hour. 34 miles.

7/8/16 Brill footpaths. Received confirmation from Elaine Horsey, Rambler member, that she’d be very interested is being proactive in locating Brill landowners and promoting DaGs.

8/8/16 Reminder request to Alastair McVail for two CAMS orders for Wing Ascott Estates kissing gates.

8/8/16 Brill BRI/12/1 Asked Elaine Horsey to discuss changing stile to kissing gate with landowner.

8/8/16 GRA/1/1 CAMS 81086 at SP759254 to replace broken stile with Woodstock kissing gate. Contacted landowner, Jim Woodham, and made arrangements to do this on Wed 17/8/16.

9/8/16 Stewkley SRE/14/4. CAMS 81198 at SP842264. A & J dismantled dilapidated stile, trimmed back hedges both sides, installed Marlow gate complete with one new 1.8m x 100 x 10mm post, reassembled sheep netting. Met irate landowner Margaret Carter who said the stile was on her land although we’d been led to believe it was on Simon Wilkinson’s. 2 x 6 = 12 man hours

9/8/16 Stewkley SRE/14/4. CAMS 81601 at SP841264. B & K dismantled dilapidated stile, trimmed back hedge on both sides, installed Marlow gate complete with two reused posts that were coach bolted to gate as taking no load. Reattached and fitted short lengths of rails back into hedge on either side. 2 x 5.5 = 11 man hours

9/8/16 Stewkley SRE/14/4. CAMS 81602 at SP841264. B & K dismantled dilapidated stile to leave gap. Made good barbed wire fencing. 1 x 0.5 = 1.0 man hours.

9/8/16 Total 4 x 6 = 24 man hours. ABJK (K4P) 36 miles plus 25 miles for Allen Fairbrother from Aston Clinton.

9/8/16 Wing Ascott Estate. WIN/5/3 at SP888224 received CAMS 81425 for stile to wooden kissing gate. WIN/1/2 at SP889221 received CAMS83333 stile to wooden kissing gate.

12/8/16 Wing Ascott Estate. Requested from BCC/TfB confirmation that no underground services. Also reminded them re CAT scanner training/availability as previously promised.

Current situation: DaG opportunities and recent work orders (CAMS) from BCC: Brill SP658141 Stile to KG – Done Marsh Gibbon SP643232 2 x Stiles to Gates Brill – Several others potentially SP775207 3 x Stiles to Gates - Done SP663239 Stile/fence to Gate & Stewkley SP842264 Stile to PG - Done others potentially Stewkley SP841264 Stile to PG - Done Dinton – NB rRIPPLE discussing locally Wing – 2 DaGs paid for by CPRE Bucks - Granborough SP759254 Stile to PG Locations under discussion - NB rRIPPLE discussing locally – NB rRIPPLE discussing locally

Other work outstanding in – see 4/5/16 entry.

NB rRIPPLE on site manhours: 224 for period 30 Jan – 6 Aug 2015 66.5 for period 13 Aug – 17 Nov 2015 72 for period 18 Nov 2015 – 16 Jan 2016 74 for period 17 Jan 2016 – 15 Mar 2016 120.25 for period 16 Mar 2016 – 11 Jun 2016 133 for period 12 Jun 2016 – 14 Aug 2016

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

22/6/16 Wing at 28/6/16 North Marston 28/6/16 North Marston 13/7/16 North Marston SP888232 at SP775206 West at SP775206 West at SP776207

Team of four: Allen, Derek, Bill & Jerry Team of Two: Bill & Keith Wheeler-Cherry who 22/6/16 stepped in at the last minute. 13/7/16

Our first plaque as fitted to the gate in Kingsey on 20/7/16 26/7/16 Brill at SP658141 20/7/16 Kingsey at SP729068

3/8/16 N. Marston at SP762219.

9/8/16 Stewkley at 9/8/16 Stewkley at 9/8/16 Stewkley at SP842264 SP841264 SP841264