Issued by Duncan Smart, Holmer & Shelwick Footpath Officer, 1st June 2021
In the 11th April 2021 Footpath Report it was noted that 4 items of footpath furniture required repair or replacement. These are not the only areas requiring improvement but they were earmarked for early attention. The good news is that 3 of the 4 have now been achieved through the hard work of Ramblers Work Parties
1) Replacement of the ditch crossing and stile on path HO13 (near Munstone Road) Friday 30th April
2) Replacement of the leaning stile on path HO13 (close to the ditch crossing) with a new stile Friday 30th April
3) Improvement to the stile at the junction of paths HO13 and HO14, by replacing the existing single cross step with two steps at different heights leaving a space for dogs to pass through. If the field is ever to be used for to be used for sheep it will need to be blocked up in a suitable way.
4) Improvement or replacement of the HO14 stile, handrail and finger post at the steps down to Shelwick Lane (near the Patch Hill junction). After further inspection the Ramblers Work Party Coordinator decided that this job needed to be handed back to Balfour Beatty because it comes right down to Shelwick Lane and there are major safety implications of working at the roadside.
The location of the above items is shown on the map below. So, Items 1, 2 and 3 have been completed. Item 4 will be the responsibility of Balfour Beatty
In the last report it was noted that an HO13 stile and gateway near Shelwick Lane was in dire need of repair/maintenance/replacement. Following an update from our Shelwick Councillor I went to review this stile and found that the landowner had repaired the fence and gateway and the stile is functional again.
The final task in May was on Bank Holiday Monday when the new battery hedge trimmer was used on path HO8A, between Attwood Lane and the Furlongs, to cut back overhanging branches and undergrowth.
It would be appreciated if anyone coming across other problems with the Holmer & Shelwick public footpaths (as identified by finger posts and yellow waymarks) will report them through the website or to the Parish Clerk. This includes stiles, bridges/ditch crossings, overhanging vegetation etc. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done about muddy patches after heavy rain or floods.