Ramblers on the Isle of Wight have reopened a scenic link from the island’s coast path to the Undercliff that was closed for four years, after the cash-strapped local council were unable to fund repairs. A team of nine volunteers rebuilt a wall that was dangerously at risk of collapsing onto the Niton Tunnels footpath (above), cleared vegetation and installed a new gate and handrails at no capital cost to the council. The Isle of Wight Ramblers has also created its third easy-going walk on the island, the Tapnell Trail. The 10km/6½-mile circular route goes via Freshwater and Afton Down, passing the site of the famous 1970 music festival.

For more details and to download a free leafl et of the trail, visit www.iowramblers.com

The Ramblers has lost a High Court case challenging how footpath diversion orders are approved in England and Wales – but the judgment has helped clarify the law. In what has become known as the ‘Bodicote case’, a path that goes past a centuries-old mill (pictured above) in the Oxfordshire parish had been the subject of a disputed diversion order that the Ramblers argued would make the route less convenient and enjoyable for walkers.

The Ramblers was keen to pursue a legal judgment that would set a precedent so that the heritage value of a footpath, the past conduct of the landowner and the cost to the public purse are taken into account when future diversion orders are decided.

“This all comes under the meaning of the word ‘expedient’, which twice appears in the enabling section – section 119 – of the Highways Act 1980,” says Eugene Suggett, senior policy officer at the Ramblers. “While we are disappointed that we couldn’t save the historic path at Bodicote, we are optimistic about several points made by the judge, clarifying the law in a way that will protect paths from unsuitable diversion in the future.”

Click here for our special feature on diversion orders and the law involved.

“It’s fantastic to see the progress that’s been made by our scheme,” says Jenny Budd, who coordinates Lewisham Healthy Walks, which celebrated its tenth birthday in September. “The best part is seeing what a difference it makes to helping people stay active and meet new friends.”

Fran Riley, coordinator for Hyndburn Stepping Out scheme, agrees: “It’s been ten years of hard work, particularly for our wonderful volunteers, but it’s been incredibly worthwhile when you see the results. The dedication of participants to the scheme testifies to the hugely positive effects health walks have had on their lives.”

“The passion and hard work that people have put into WfH is clear,” said Simon Barnett, director of walking programmes and promotions at the Ramblers, which took over the running of the WfH national centre with Macmillan Cancer Support in April. “We’re excited about working with Macmillan on future plans, and I’m confident that there will be many more successful years to come.”

Stockport, Lancashire:

Northam, Devon: Joan Long, footpath secretary for Devon Ramblers, has helped secure a footpath along the spectacular Torridge Estuary, near Bideford, after giving evidence at a public inquiry. The route provides a new and attractive link to the South West Coast Path and is now recognised on the council’s definitive map.

Kent: Kent Ramblers has persuaded the Government to consider opening up new sections of the county’s coastline as part of the consultation for the first stretch of the England Coast Path in the South East. Natural England’s proposals for the route include the old Richborough port quay and improved access to the banks of the Stour (pictured, photo by Nigel Chadwick).

Gelli, Mid Glamorgan: Thanks to the perseverance of a local member, two paths through forest in the Crafnant valley have been reopened with the cooperation of the Forestry Commission.

Sussex: The 51km/32-mile 1066 Country Walk is now stile-free, following a Sussex Ramblers-funded project to replace them all with more easily accessible gates. A celebratory walk was held in November after the final gates were installed.

Shropshire: The Shropshire Way long-distance path has been relaunched following extensive upgrading that was part-funded and assisted by Shropshire Ramblers. Local volunteers helped waymark the route, which has also been extended to the north of the county over the past two years.

Ipswich, Suffolk: A stretch of the Gipping Valley River Path has now been recognised as a public right of way and secured in perpetuity thanks to several years of lobbying by Suffolk Ramblers. As well as an attractive recreational walk, the kilometre of riverbank provides a good off-road link between shops and services.

In an ironic twist, Donald Trump (right) also complained about “damaging” plans for an off-shore windfarm in sight of his £750 million golf resort during a Scottish parliamentary committee in April, saying: “Your pristine countryside and coastlines will forever
be destroyed and Scotland will go broke [from such] industrial monstrosities.”

Ramblers Scotland is lobbying Holyrood to change its renewable-energy policy away from major land-based windfarms to more off-shore developments, where the visual impact on wild landscapes is less intrusive. The charity has also assisted in an award-winning documentary film, You’ve Been Trumped, about the controversial construction of Donald Trump’s golf course, which is due for national release after proving a hit on the festival circuit.

For more about the film and nearby screenings, visit www.youvebeentrumped.com.

“These proposals will transform the way National Trails are managed in the future,” says Nicky Philpott, the Ramblers’ director of policy and campaigns, adding: “The Ramblers has a shared history with National Trails – our first general secretary
Tom Stephenson worked to establish the Pennine Way in the 1930s – so we care passionately about their future. We’re concerned that the Government’s proposals as they stand pose a huge threat to the quality of National Trails. They are a national asset, delivering benefits not just to walkers but to ailing rural economies, too. National Trails are national treasures and deserve a national body to safeguard their future.”

For full details of the proposals and their potential impact, see our in-depth feature on Britain’s National Trails.

England’s public forestry should be retained, public access to it protected and similar levels of access to the country’s other woodland should be the norm – so says an Independent Panel on the future of England’s woods, whose final report was presented to the Government in July.

Set up by the Coalition after huge public protests against proposals to sell off parts of the Forestry Commission estate last year, the Panel recognised ‘the quality of access to the public forest estate is unrivalled,’ and that ‘securing this access for the nation, for the long term, is a central part of our case for retaining a national public forest estate’. It also recommended setting measurable targets for increasing the level and quality of access to privately owned woodland using grants as incentives, and says more trees should be planted ‘to give as many people as possible ready access to trees and woodland for health and wellbeing benefits’.

“The announcement will be good news for the thousands of walkers and woodland lovers who protested against the proposed sale of public woodland last year,” says Ramblers Chief Executive Benedict Southworth. “The Panel, which included representatives from landowners and industry, has told us something that we all knew in our hearts to be true: all English people should have access to a walk in the woods.

“The aspiration of the report is one that not only sees the continuation of a strong public forest estate, but a future
where every person has access to a local woodland – something that the Ramblers has campaigned for passionately. We will continue to work to help make this aspiration a reality and urge the Government to put concrete measures in place to move this
vision forward.”

For more about the report, read Panel member Tom Franklin’s opinion piece from the Autumn 2012 issue of walk.

Image: European Environment Agency/John McConnico.