Footpath Group

At the 2003 Parish Exhibition footpath issues featured prominently and one of the subsequent conclusions in the Parish Action Plan was the setting up of a Footpaths Group. This was arranged by the Parish Council and since then the Group has worked informally under the Chair of Mike King and subsequently Geoffrey Preston-Jones to look at various suggestions and proposals.

The Group first set out to determine whether it was practical to produce a cheap and handy guide to the network of paths in the Parish to complement the formal OS mapping. Some considerable progress was made on this project, masterminded by Rachel Boxall and an interesting sheet, somewhat bigger than A4 was produced. However the Group came to the conclusion that, largely because of the limitations of the computer programme available, the product did not produce the detail needed for a handy guide or justify the probable expense of quantity reproduction. Also at this time a footpath “going” map published by Oakwood Maps came on the market, covering the Loxwood and Canal area; it transpired that Oakwood intended to extend their coverage further into W.Sussex and their format is exactly what we considered desirable for the Parish. Our project was therefore shelved.

Secondly, the Group undertook to look at whether the danger to walkers transiting Footpath 790 to 827 could be reduced. This route gives a round walk from the Church to the Canal close to the Wharf and back by Harsfold Lane but requires walkers to use a narrow and quite dangerous part of the A272 Billingshurst Rd to make the connection. There are two possible improvements limiting the danger to a simple crossing of the carriageway but both involve the agreement of the Landowner to allow a permissive path to be installed. This has now been achieved on the north side of the A272 with a permissive path.

The Footpath Group acts as an information exchange on footpath matters. If you would like to join this group, which operates on an e-mail only basis, please email the Clerk.

For more information about footpaths and walks in the area ......