August 2nd 2006. Devil's Ditch path reopened by Cambs C.C.
At their meeting held on 20th July Parish Councillors expressed disgust at the tree felling that has taken place at the Wood Ditton end of the Ditch and the devastated appearance of the site. County Councillor Matthew Shuter added his weight to the protests and said that a site meeting between the various official bodies concerned was being held to discuss future action.
Kate Day, representing the Cambs. C.C's Countryside Access Team attended the Wood Ditton Parish Council meeting held on 15th June to explain the reasons for the long period of closure of the Devil's Ditch footpath. She acknowledged that many complaints from the public about the C.C's action have appeared on this website and admitted that the closure could have been handled better.
For the draft minutes of the P.C. meeting select here
5th June 2006
Good letter Geoff, and I take your points I was only stirring it.
Looking forward to sauntering on sundry sunny Sundays, Chris Winch
4th June 2006. From Geoff Gardiner
I feel I must take Chris Winch to task for his serious observations on Ramblers and their use of footpaths. I did wonder whether he was serious or not, but have decided that after some deliberation somebody might take his words as gospel, so here is my one and only reply and contribution to a letter designed to be controversial and provocative.
For his observations on large groups of ramblers traipsing across the poor land owners fields I must inform him these large groups consist in the main of single ladies and widows, who are unwilling to risk walking in the countryside by themselves because of the numbers of weirdo’s and oddbods at large, but are happy to be led along lawful rights of way while meeting friends and newcomers, and who are willing to having discussions and conversations, as inane or intelligent as you like to make them, their dogs on leads and leaving nothing behind but their footprints.
These groups pay an annual membership fee, a small part of which goes to meet the expenses of perhaps one or two people working tirelessly to keep theses paths that Chris uses daily, and which he takes for granted, open. Of course he will have seen in the local press that there are to be changes for the better, after many years and consultations to paths in the local parishes of Dalham and Ousden.
I would ask Chris how many Farmers or land owner does he know that have given the public at large, a permissive path, now that the whole area has been swallowed up by one or two extremely wealthy landowners who are closing the countryside, by planting screening belts of trees, and allowing hedges to grow up to 3 metres tall how many new paths have been created?
Chris you should know that if you walk in the countryside in the winter time you will get your boots muddy, are we to ban everyone but you and SUNDRY?
25th May 2006 From Iain Hazlewood Newmarket
I notice that the section of Dyke from Court Barns Road to the B1061 has
been blocked at the B1061 end with a metal gate padlocked to the fence.
There are no closure notices here, and the notice at the Court Barns end
makes no mention of this. Does anyone know if this is the actions of the
Council or the landowner?
I have concerns over the decision to close the path. I regularly go
hillwalking and climbing in the mountains of the British isles, along
footpaths that go up and around cliffs, across scree slopes and become
covered with ice in the winter. Unfortunately people die every year in
accidents walking these paths. I have never come across a notice closing
a path because a member of the public might hurt themselves, and I can
only imagine the hilarity and contempt with which such an action would be
greeted by the hillwalking community.
Trees dying and falling do not damage the environment, it's part of the
natural cycle. Their roots may yank a chunk out of the dyke, the work in
repairing that would be insignificant compared to the fencing and
clearing of the 'restored' section. Health and Safety is a booming
industry with a lot of people making money out of identifying potential
danger. Perhaps we should be prepared for more of this as virtually any
footpath has risks and our council officials are obligated to ensure our
safety. I'll let you know when Ben Nevis is closed...
15th May from Karen Keefe Public Rights of Way Officer for Cambs C.C.
The Stetchworth Estate owns half of the dyke there are others involved. I have been working with the estate on this and other rights of way matters and I am aware that what you describe as a 'liberal attitude' is totally incorrect.The Estate is happy that people use the path as long as they stick to it (when it is open) I am certain that they do not encourage or welcome trespass onto private property which has implications of liability for them. I am sure the Estate Manager would confirm this.
With regards to you statement regarding heritage, the Dyke is a Scheduled Ancient Monument which is part of the nation's heritage, and we have a duty to maintain and preserve it for future generations that is why it is subject to laws to protect it from damage and inappropriate use. I
I would repeat what I have said to you previously that some of the trees are dangerous, not because of roots, but because they are in a state of decay that means they are dangerous and likely to collapse at any given minute irrespective of storm conditions.
The Wooditton Parish Clerk Mr Theobald is aware of this having recently spoken to
the Arboriculturalist with East Cambs District Council who has condemned them. Any further enquiries should be directed to the Project Officer who is arranging the works.
E.mail: Karen.Keefe@cambridgeshire .gov.uk
12th May 2006 from Graham Belton
I saw the picture of the Devil's Ditch closure notice on the website and was both surprised and disappointed. As a youngster in the sixties I remember the great adventures we had when a group of us used to set out on a walk along Devil's Ditch. I'm sure the dangers were much the same in those days, but then we weren't the 'nanny state' we have turned into now!
11th May 2006 From Chris Winch.
Dear webmaster, When it first happened I wrote to the local paper and to the
people concerned in the closure of the Ditch. Everyone on your site appears
to be in agreement that a chain saw is a rather heavy handed approach to
conservation and safety. I suggested in my letter that Chicken Licken could
be a new mascot for the conservation groups but I feel that once the work
has been done, and the Ditch re-opened, a volunteer should be constantly on
hand so that whenever it rains they can rush to the start of the Ditch with
a yellow triangular sign warning 'DANGER WET FLORA!'.
On a more serious note, I know the naturalists are only doing their best,
but perhaps a more sensitive use of footpaths by ramblers might also be
considered. A footpath was only ever there for a working man to get to work
as quickly as possible. A drove was for the use of livestock. It is only by
tradition that landowners are still forced to let all and Sunday traipse
across their land. In the Autumn after the first heavy rains it is
guaranteed that an organised rabble (sorry, ramble) of about 50 or 60, from
all across East Anglia, will set off across the local footpaths for no good
reason other than to turn tracks that could have lasted well into the winter
into a mini version of the Somme. There is a muddy corner of a local field
that will be forever Cambridge. The rest of us who walk these paths daily
are then left to drag our feet through clogging mud for months as they
settle down over winter until they deign to return and churn them up again
in the spring. How about closing paths to groups of over five during wet
weather? This gives enough freedom of access, enough hands to save each
other from falling trees and scare off dangerous wildlife, and enough to
form the usual high volume, inane discussion group.
And as we know enough is enough..
Muddily yours, Chris Winch Wood Ditton
10th May. From Geoffrey Woollard (a former County Councillor)
My family became owners of parts of the northern end of the Devil's Ditch in the 1970s. At that time, it was very overgrown with elders, etc., and I wanted to clear the elders and to 'restore' the bank and ditch where I had responsibility. Concern was expressed that wildlife habitats would be put at risk by the removal of the elders. Nobody then worried about the 'health and safety' of the people, though the path at the top of the bank was very nearly impassable. As I was then a County Councillor myself and had no need nor desire to stir unnecessary controversy, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't win that one, so I left most of the elders. Eventually, helpful volunteers did some modest clearance which solved - for a time - the path problem. Then the County Council got involved and, I have to say, some more useful work was effected. It seems now, however, that 'officialdom' has taken an extreme position at the Wood Ditton end, and I sympathise very much with those folks who are upset. Maybe if the alleged hazards of 'dangerous' trees, roots, etc., were left to the commonsense of the people, they would re-learn the ability to assess risks for themselves!
9th May 2006 from Joe Moore,
How lucky we all are to be here & still in one piece. I have wonderful memories of the Devils Ditch, going back for over seventy five years. I have walked, cycled, climbed trees, rolled down the banks, slid down the banks on tin trays, & even dared to cross the railway line, as well. I expect we have all done much the same. I don't recall any broken arms or legs, only minor injuries which were probably our own fault anyway.
How lucky we are to have the Cambridgeshire County Council to look after us now & have concern for our personal safety. I now look forward to my 90th birthday, I expect by then there will be a paved path all along the top of 'Our Ditch' (with the obligatory passing places, of course). We shall then all be able to speed along the top in our motorised wheelchairs in complete safety, remembering what the Ditch was like in our youth when it was a highly dangerous place to be?
9th May 2006 from James Fisher, Devil's Dyke Project Officer
I am the project officer representing the Devil's Dyke Restoration
Project. I shall attempt to clarify the situation regarding the path
closure on the Devil's Ditch. As you have heard from Karen Keefe, a
survey of the trees near the top of the bank was carried out during the winter. The subsequent report highlighted a number of trees that were
of immediate risk to users of the footpath as well as presenting a risk
of damaging the banks of the ditch were they to blow over. So the
March. The decision to close the path, as I'm sure Karen has explained,
was made by the County Council's Countryside Services Team on health
and safety grounds.
The report also highlighted several trees that were of a reduced risk
of falling and we had originally planned to have these trees managed
during the autumn. However, the County Council's Countryside Services
Team has taken the decision to keep the path closed until this
additional work has been completed. Therefore, I am now arranging for
the work to be carried out as soon as possible in order to get the path
re-opened. We hope that the remaining work will be completed by the end
of the month and that the path will then be re-opened.
I note from the comments on your website that there is a parish council
meeting on 18th May. I am happy to attend this meeting to discuss the
work of the Devil's Dyke Restoration Project. I believe it would be
helpful for a rights of way officer from the County Council to also
attend that meeting to discuss the various access issues, including the closure of the path, so I will contact them to see whether a member of
staff is available.
8th May 2006 from Margaret Bellamy
I want to add my voice to those who are protesting about the closure of part of the Devil's Dyke footpath because of "roots and dangerous trees". In the twenty five years I have been associated with Newmarket, Devil's Dyke has been an enchanted escape for recreational walking. Gnarled roots, a particular feature of the Woodditton end of the dyke, lend character to the path. The tall trees give atmosphere and the dyke has always provided me and my family with weekend walks that have given us much pleasure over the years. It astonishes me that some beaurocrat has found it in his/her power to close the dyke for such superficial and unconvincing reasons, for the features about which they are warning us have been there (in my own experience) for 25 years - and I am sure for longer in fact - and to my knowledge no-one has suffered from them.
7th May 2006 from Doug Everitt
How kind of the Cambs council to think of our safety on
the Devils Ditch walk, are they going to fit hand rails we can hold onto how about chain link fencing to stop us rolling into the ditch, s.o.s boxes every few hundred yards, some ropes to haul our selves up on should we get in to difficulties, a few seats would not go amiss, a St Bernard dog minus the Brandy barrel, that could be a health hazard.
How about a small fee for parking when you sit down, and at the joining parts where it crosses the road pedestrian crossings and a paved area,
Oh, and how nice it would be if Burger Vans were at various intervals, and barriers that would give you a ticket and you pay for how long you are on it.
With all these money making ideas we could perhaps get a rate rebate or pay the wages of the safety department.
6th May 2006. From Rodney Vincent to Karen Keefe, Rights of Way Officer following her e-mail (see below).
Thanks for your reply,
Trees along the Devil's Ditch have been rotting, dying and falling for
generations, this is part of the cycle of nature and is what makes the Ditch
such a wonderful place for wildlife. Why this process should suddenly become
a public hazard defeats me. Some of the trees that I have seen felled in
this latest operation certainly do not seem to be on their last legs.
Are we all caught up in being told what to do by anonymous officials?
What consultation has there been with the Parish Council or local people? I
understand that the Wood Ditton Parish Clerk, John Theobald, wrote to
Cambs.CC Countryside Access Team on the 21st April expressing concern about
this project and to date has had no reply. I know of a number of people who
would like a chance to meet the persons behind this project. How about them coming to the next Parish Council meeting on May 18th to answer questions?
If I am wrong on statements of facts on the Wood Ditton website I am happy
to correct them, but opinions are another matter.
I have known and loved the Devils Ditch since I was a boy in the nineteen
thirties, and I can assure you that it was always an adventure to trek
along the Ditch, and to swing off the hanging creepers of Old Man's Beard.
We did more dangerous things than that, like climbing the shaky pigeon
shooting towers or creeping inside chalk caves, both long gone. Today
plastic ropes have replaced the creepers that the kids swing from, that is until
some official decides that it is far too dangerous. Whatever happened to a
sense of adventure? Should we be trying to insulate the kids of today from
anything that might create the slightest risk? Believe me, they will find
their own dangers somewhere, and a lot worse than swinging off a tree.
The Ditch is a precious inheritance from the past and should be enjoyed by
different interests - botanists, nature lovers, walkers and kids who just
see it as an exciting place. Of course it has to be managed to some extent,
but I suggest that this should be kept to a minimum, and leave the unspoilt,
unimproved character that has always been its chief attraction.
Rodney Vincent webmaster www.wood-ditton.org.uk
5th May 2006 from John Harris
I despair - what can one say about a typically humourless and jobsworth
reply. I would have thought that our taxes would be spent on more productive
work for public servants. We do need to be vigilant to make sure that it
doesn't get covered in tarmac paths and notices everywhere. I haven't yet
spoken to the Project Officer mentioned but probably we should all do so to
keep the pressure on him for action. What bothers me as much as the
stupidity is the lack of consultation - apparently there is no consultation
required which is why there doesn't seem to be much point in winding the
Parish Council into this. Did you see Chris Winch's letter in the Journal
last week on the same subject?
oh well, its the weekend tomorrow and the sun is shining...and I'll
definitely be going down the Dyke!
3rd May 2006. From Karen Keefe
Dear Sir
I am the Public Rights of Way Officer for Fenland and East Cambs and I am replying to your email regarding the above.
The Devils Dyke project commissioned a Tree Surgeon's report which identified some of the trees as in a dangerous condition and likely to fall at any time in the next six months. This has been confirmed by an independent Arboriculturalist. When this was brought to our attention, as Highway Authority with responsibility for public safety on rights of way, we had no alternative but to close the path until felling has been carried out. The Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed to fund the works.The works required to make the site safe are being managed by Mr James Fisher, the Devil's Dyke Project Officer who is based at the Wildlife Trust Offices at Cambourne.
The Devils Ditch is a Scheduled Ancient Monument of national and regional importance and Site of Special Scientific Interest. There is a legal obligation on the project to consult with English Nature and English Heritage before any works can be undertaken.
I would suggest you contact Mr Fisher directly to ascertain when the works are scheduled. Once we receive notification that they have been completed we will open the path at the earliest opportunity.
Some the points you raise about the condition of the Scheduled Ancient Monument are incorrect and I am concerned that you are under misconceptions with regard to the management of such sites . I am particularly concerned at the statement on the website that the Monument 'is an Adventure Playground for kids'. I shall therefore pass your email to the English Heritage Representative who may wish to address the matter further.
