WOOKEY
2007/8
During
2007/2008 the group concentrated on parishes around Wookey.
Photographs of recent work parties can be found by clicking
the links below
The
culmination of each year's work is the August Bank Holiday
Walking Festival when we invite people to walk our routes
(and admire our handiwork!!)
The
Team at Work
Mendip Ramblers
Working Party work with the Rights of Way Department at
Mendip District Council (MDC)
to maintain footpaths and stiles throughout the MDC area.
This year over a 100 stiles, many plank bridges and dozens
of fingerposts have been installed. We also constructed
our first six metre bridges as shown in the picture -- in
fact we put in FOUR such bridges in this area. The culmination
of the year’s effort is the Walking Festival.
The
tasks are varied and various and as our experience has grown
so has our ability to tackle most situations we are likely
to meet!
|
MENDIP
RAMBLERS FOOTPATH WORK
Mendip
Ramblers Group has been working on footpaths in the Mendip
area for the past seven years, organised and co-ordinated
throughout by Bob Berry. Every year an area is chosen and
routes selected within it to produce about a dozen varied
walks. The work party group then walks these routes and identifies
problems associated with them. Problems range from minor repairs
to stiles and steps and clearing of undergrowth to complete
reopening of totally obstructed paths. The work party then
spends every Tuesday for a year correcting all the problems!!
Often hedges have to be cut through and new stiles installed
where none previously existed or have long since disappeared.
Sometimes ditches and small streams have to be bridged and
at others flights of steps are required up steep slopes and
banks.
Group
photo on Monday
With publicity targeted
more towards the local parishes we were pleased to have
far greater numbers on this year's shorter afternoon walks.
We had more on the morning walks too so altogether the Mendip
Ramblers 3 day Walking Festival over the August Bank Holiday
attracted over 280
walkers.
The starting
point was the Wookey Village hall and we were lucky to have
good walking weather on all the days. After the walks tea
and huge quantities of cakes were available in the Village
Hall
|
PREVIOUS YEARS
| Coleford |
2007 |
| Shepton
Mallet |
2006 |
| Batcombe |
2005 |
| Beckington |
2005 |
| Westbury-Sub-Mendip |
2004 |
| Binegar |
2003 |
| West
Pennard |
2002 |
Photos
of our work in those areas (and various other "one
off" jobs) can be found within the archive
section of our website |
Next
year the aim is to hold the festival in the Oakhill area,
make a note in your diaries for August Bank Holiday 2009 weekend.
The festival
would’t be possible without the Working Party volunteers,
MDC Rights of Way Officers (Shelia Petherbridge and Clare
Haskins) and the cooperation of the many farmers and land
owners with Rights of Way across their land.
Sheila Petheridge joined us
every day on the walks. |
This
first set of photos is from Saturday's long walk to Bower's
Hill, Godney and Knowle Moor led by Owen |
| 
Ready to go on Saturday
-- a small section of the participants listening to the joint
briefing |
Mary is keen
to stride ahead
|
Descending from
Bower's Hill
|
Bob in typical relaxed mode
|
We were delighted to welcome ramblers
from other Somerset groups -- Woodspring and Clevedon were
particularly supportive
|
Our visiting group members seemed
wary of our friendly dogs like Bobbie
|
| 
An old concrete bridge over the Sheppey
gingerly negotiated |
Sandra leads the way over one of two
six metre bridges we built near Leaze Drove to open up a previously
blocked path |
And this is the bridge being constructed
a couple of months ago! |
| 
This is the second of the bridges |
The group of nearly 40 is very spread
out at this point |
Maybe these walkers feel a lunch
stop coming on |
| This
second set of photos are from Sunday's long walk up through
Biddlecombe led by Gus |
|
Robin's pose is unlikely to get him
in this year's calendar |
I wouldn't advice this cross-handed
technique
|
Those still on the plank weren't as
happy to pose for this shot of one of "our" stiles"
! |
|
Sheila cutting a dashing figure? |
Is this an MDC lost workman? No it's
our chairman and leader of this walk! |
The group discuss what they think
about the walk so far |
| 
The group was well stretched out at
this point |
Les assesses the hazard |
Before venturing across |
| 
Sheila looking flustered |
I've always said there's something
otherworldly about Brian |
Ken demonstrates that not all obstructions
have been cleared |
| 
Has Ken discovered a bag of dog pooh?
-- on second thoughts's it must be his lunch |
Rod wonders what all the fuss is about...he
got up Biddlecombe without seeing any problems at all |
Richard, one of several West Wiltshire
ramblers to support the festival |
| 
Steve has a hunch Ken's about to
engage him in conversation |
Alan explains why he's walking up
Biddlecombe in glorified trainers |
Mary tries not to headbutt the signpost |
| Finally
photos from Monday's medium walk through Easton, Knapp Wood
and Westbury-Sub-Mendipled by Les |
| 
The leader waits impatiently for the
newspaper photographer to take his shot |
Inspectors at work. One disapproves
of the step height and another checks the level of the upright |
Rick wonders where the leader's gone
|
| 
Soon after the start |
Look behind you!! |
Everyone checking their lunch packs |
A method of extending your legs and
shortening your sex life? |
This family prefers using trees |
Rather than the obvious benches at
DeerLeap |
|
Brent Knol lin the distance as the
group descends from the top of the Mendips |
Last resting place? |
Is Alice helping or hindering? Certainly
it's a very funny experience for both of them |
