** Please note that this is an archive of the CANTAB publication and contains out-of-date information **

CANTAB RAMBLER

Editorial
A belated “Happy New Year” to you all, and apologies for so long a silence.

I have been occupied in trying to sort out a roomful of Cambridge Ramblers’ Association records. Our own involvement stretches back to ca 1975, and we inherited a few papers from as far back as 1970.

Much of this related to path complaints, and records of path usage, which might potentially be of use at public inquiries, and have indeed been used in the past at rights of way inquiries such as at Bartlow and Stetchworth. At the latter Inquiry, we carried with us not only photocopies of diary entries indicating use of a claimed path, and a typed synopsis, but also a plastic carrier bag full of the diaries from which the evidence derived. I rather hoped no-one would like to search through these in confirmation, as diary entries included not only path usage, but also our personal social records.

At one time, a source of the massive paper burden came from RA Central Office, with circulars, updates of circulars and questionnaires etc. Now, blessedly, these appear on the Internet, and hopefully rarely need printing out. The downside of this capacity, is that a ready audience is presented to our London colleagues, to whom they can forward, at no expense, copious documents for our attention, surely more in number and complexity than when they needed to be posted!

Our contacts with the parish councils in the 101 South Cambridgeshire parishes that we deal with have, over the years, given us a very good picture of the state of rights of way, and “how things are done” in individual parishes. We feel that on the whole the “dead letters” files from the parishes are well worth retaining as a useful archive.

In the early 1980s, we started a series of path complaints ledgers, each entry relating to an individual path, and its problems. If one includes permissive and customary paths, we are talking about some 1300 numbered entries. These entries cross reference with reports made every 2 months to the Cambridge RA Group committee, and retained on the computer. In the intervening years, the County Council has used various means of contacting or replying to us over path issues. We have continued to summarise their replies in our ledgers, as a computer cross-reference, but have been obliged to scrap repetitive original paper data, as keeping the whole of the earlier archive becomes altogether too massive. It is known that Cambs CC only keeps its own records for 3 years. In the course of the “paper excavations” however, I have found some interesting data, which I will share with you in this issue.

Long Term South Cambs Path Problems
Readers who have been walking in the area since 2000, will perhaps recall the publicity given by RA Cambridge Group to their South Cambridgeshire Millennium Paths Survey. Every path was surveyed and recorded in great detail, and problems noted. These problems were not simply recorded in the volumes of the survey, but were subsequently individually drawn to the attention of the County Council’s Rights of Way maintenance team.

In August 2000, we followed this up by writing to Kate Day, the then Team Leader, summarising the list of persistent long-standing problems in the path network, although we acknowledged that 75% or more of the network was in good or fair order. However, we included with the letter a dossier of 41 path problems.

Within a few years, several of these problems had been rectified. A number of long-term problems in Bourn were sorted out, Dry Drayton paths had a make-over, and the Mordens (with their huge numbers of paths) thoroughly signposted.

Problems with Graveley fp10 (from High St to Toseland Rd, TL245638), Hatley fp13 (now behind a row of gardens at East Hatley), Guilden Morden fp53 (off High St at TL278436); Linton 5 (diversion taking path out of barn at TL554473); and most recently Steeple Morden fps14 & 7 (off Brookside, at TL290431) have been solved by diversion orders. On Oakington fp 6, a tiny path dead-ended by the wartime airfield, an eventual solution will be achieved as the new housing estate is built!

Inevitably, some difficulties remain unresolved. For example, two paths, a bridleway (bp7) and a footpath (fp5, TL409567) should cross the line of the Barton rifle range. The bridleway has sentry boxes at each end, and is available (occasionally) when there is no red flag flying. Fp5, however, is blocked by fence, hedge, trees, and warning notices, completely obliterated on the ground. Cambridge Group has concluded that it is not worthwhile attempting to retrieve this path, especially since the range is used almost daily. A mitigating factor is the permissive paths which run in the fields alongside the range, on Burwash Manor lands, and giving a pleasant circuit .

On the other hand, at Bassingbourn, fp19 is blocked at one end, TL343450 by an army camp, which is no longer in use. Negotiations over the years have got nowhere. Fp 19 should meet Old North Road opposite Whaddon Footpath 11, leading to Whaddon village. Near the point of emergence is new and revived housing (ex army quarters) whose inhabitants would surely like to walk directly to Bassingbourn village, rather than twice the distance starting down Old North Road.

Some problems comprise a series of difficulties, rather than a single impediment. This is the case on Cottenham paths 1, 9 &10 following the watercourses for several miles. (Fps 9, 10 run NE both sides of the lode from Smithy Fen Bridge; Fp1 runs E along Old West River Bank from the Aldreth Causeway). The 2000 survey records dangerous inadequate stiles, blocking fences without stiles, and similar problems on side-branch paths giving access to the dykes along which these paths run. The County Council has tried over the years to get the worst of these improved, but a concerted effort is needed to make this locality available for a good long stride, uninterrupted by the necessity of crawling under a fence.

Other paths seemingly incapable of a long-term “cure” are those cross-field paths persistently not reinstated every year, unless pressed by the County Council following complaints.

As well as these problems recorded in 2000 which are still in place, there are, unfortunately, a new generation of persistent problems, sometimes deriving from the action of a new landowner. In this category are paths which once kept grassy, are now ploughed, with only a tractor wheeling. Examples of this are Bassingbourn fp 21, TL346444 and Caldecote fp 6, TL339563.

And of course there are the normal maintenance issues. Trees are blown down (lots recently) and block paths. Stiles collapse, gates jam shut, signposts fall down or are knocked down, or mysteriously disappear. Hedges overhang paths, fields are ploughed up and the path disappears for months…

As Footpath Secretaries for South Cambs, we shall continue to press the County Council for improvements. It is now useless to report missing waymarks as this is “no longer priority”. Also it is no longer possible to have a written discussion with the County’s Footpaths Officers. They will only respond to individual path problems, even requiring a separate form for each type of problem seen on a single path, on the same occasion!

The Bun Walk
On the 6 January, about 30 people enjoyed a walk at Toft. Before tea-break, we investigated some of the inner village paths, and the Woodland Trust wood at the edge of the village. At 11.15 am we assembled by the village sign, on the tiny triangle of grass which is all that remains of the village green, and shared Christmas cake. Later, on a wider circuit taking in the edge of Kingston parish, we had some excitement along Armshold Lane, where recent winds had brought down a large tree, which had to be surmounted (and has now been removed). In spite of the muddy conditions on parts of the walk, I believe everyone had a good day.

The January Bun Walk has become quite a tradition with Cambridge Group. I have spent an evening looking through old diaries, and can give you a history.

The first “Bun Walk” was called a “Mince Pie Walk” and was staged on 29 December 1990, starting from Cockayne Hatley, and visiting the other Hatleys. It was a cold day, dark, with odd flakes of snow on the wind. It was a rather low-key affair, 10 people walking 8 miles.

On Saturday 25 January 1992, on a cloudy day, 10 people walked 10 miles around Kingston. The next two years, the walks were from Toft, always a popular venue. Then on 27 December 1994, was a disastrous walk of 6 miles in heavy rain, attended, so my diary tells me, by “six fools” (including ourselves)! What the diary does not say, was that this was the end of the mince pie walks. In 2 or 3 years, we had discovered that our home-made mince pies did not travel well, the lid frequently becoming detached from the base. After the Barrington walk, Roger and I were eating fragments of mince pies for several days.

Over the next three years, we changed to bun manufacture, with pink & green icing, and small bought decoration, very fiddly, but travelled better. The 1996 venue in Over was nearly cancelled, with snow on the ground, and very cold conditions, but 10 people turned to walk 8 miles. Swavesey in 1997 was again very cold, but 25 people walked 9 miles on a fine frosty day.

I located the record of the walks for all except 2010. The timing has usually been a Saturday in January, the latest date being the 18 January. The distance used to be that for a full day walk, around 10 miles, but since 2014, the occasion has been a half-day walk of 7 miles or less, to accommodate those of our members less able or unwilling to cover a greater distance. Usually the walk has been in South or East Cambridgeshire: Landbeach (1999); Coton (2000); Eversden (2002); Linton (2004); Barrington again (2005); Burwell (2007); Stow cum Quy (2008); Steeple Morden (2009); Over again (2011); Guilden Morden (2012); Hinxton (2013); Fowlmere (2014); Bassingbourn (2015); Trumpington Country Park (2016); and Caxton (2017).

On 7 January 2006, 18 people went as far as Newport, Essex, for their 10 mile walk in cold conditions, with snow showers. Attendance had been rising with the years to generally between 20 and 30 people. On 6 January 2001, the Bun Walk was combined with the start of the Fen Rivers Way Long Distance Path, on the section Cambridge to Waterbeach, and attracted 59 people. (An ancillary supply of chocolate biscuits was carried). Another joint occasion, part of the West Anglian Way walks, attracted 58 people on 18 January 2003, between Bishops Stortford and Harlow on a wonderful fine day.

I note a diary entry of 2002 that records “Roger’s Cake Walk”, and indeed it has been Roger that baked the cakes since that time, and he still turns out to walk as far as he is able.
JM

Cambridge and the Great War
This is the title of a leaflet produced by the County Council, in 2014, recording how Cambridge itself played a part in WWI not only in providing troops but also sites for hospitals. With 2018 the centenary of the end of the war, a tourist route will continue to be of interest. One is invited to call 01223 715613 to find out more about the centenary route, or to visit the County Council’s website https://great-war.ccan.co.uk

The walking route in Cambridge (some 2 or 3 miles) starts from the station, and visits the War Memorial by the Botanic Gardens.

Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church played a major role in tending the spiritual needs of the numerous WWI Belgian refugees. Troops in tents used Parkers Piece, and military nurses in Cambridge were billeted in Downing and King’s Colleges. St Botolph’s church houses a memorial to the first Eastern General hospital. Addenbrookes Hospital on its original site opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum, now the Judge Business School, was involved in WWI medicine. Trinity College housed some patients in the cloisters, and St Botolph’s church lodges the memorial to the First Eastern General Hospital.

Whilst Holy Trinity Church war memorial shelter can actually be seen (and sat in), and Michaelhouse chapel and Great St Mary’s Church may be visited, most of the relevant college archives can only be seen by appointment, as is also true for appointments to see archives in The Cambridgeshire Collection, Lion Yard Library, and the county archives, housed in Shire Hall.

The leaflet also contains a Great War Cycle Route, on roads unsuitable for pedestrians. It does, however, feature War Memorials at Trumpington, Great Shelford, Sawston, Whittlesford, Duxford and Hinxton. These have all been visited in recent years as part of walks by Cambridge Group in early November. These walks were started by Shelford local historian David Elsom, and are continued as a valued tradition.

Cambridge City – Local Nature Reserves
With Spring coming, what about a fresh look at the City’s local nature reserves.
Do you know them all? The Parks Team parks@cambridge.gov.uk offer further information on a little map (which I obtained from Central Library, Lion Yard, Cambridge).
Reserves are (roughly N to S):
Bramblefield: Stourbridge Common: Logan’s Meadow; Barnwell West; Sheeps Green; Barnwell East; Paradise; Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits; West Pit; Byrons Pool: Nine Wells.

Look on Cambridge Group Programme to find walks that include some of these reserves. www.cambridgeramblers.org.uk/

STOP PRESS – Threat to Roman Road
In Haverhill a “Strategy Board” including the local MP and Chamber of Commerce is putting forward proposals for a bypass to part of the A1307, between Haverhill and Four Went Ways. One route would threaten the Roman Road with a dual carriageway, and the other ruin the quiet countryside to the south. An action group to oppose the plan has been set up by West Wickham parish council. RA Cambridge Group is getting involved, but individual objectors are welcomed.
See www.westwickham.org/a1307/

Cantab Rambler by E-Mail & Post
Cantab now appears some four times a year. A large number of you now receive Cantab by e-mail. If you would like to receive an issue by post, please send a large SAE, Offers of brief articles will be gratefully received.

This is a privately produced magazine, and the views expressed are solely those of the editor, or of the author of an individual item.

Janet Moreton 01223 356889
e-mail roger.janet@outlook.com
Cantab90 © Janet Moreton, 2018.