Rambler awarded for making walking routes safer

THE West Wilts Ramblers group have been recognised nationally by the walking charity ‘Ramblers’ for their work on ‘protecting where we walk’, creating a safer footpath on Westbury Road. 

Brian Micklam of West Wilts Ramblers has been  recognised in Walk magazine, magazine of the Ramblers, in their Volunteers’ Week feature. It says he ‘worked enthusiastically, tenaciously and creatively to protect and improve our rights of way.’

Brian and the West Wilts Ramblers, as well as the Wiltshire and Swindon Countryside Access Forum (CAF) worked together in order to rectify a walking route that involved a dangerous junction. 

Colloway Drove, off Westbury Road that leads around the West Wilts Golf Club course, is a popular area for walkers, riders and cyclists. However, the Ramblers were concerned about the visibility at the junction and  narrowness of the verge to reach Old Upton Scudamore Road. 

Instead of reducing hedgerow and widening the highway, the Ramblers suggested using an existing route that removes the junction from the walking route. However, the land they suggested, via the pumping station’s private access track, was owned by Wessex Water. Through years of work with Nigel Linge, chair of the CAF, they managed to get Wessex Water to agree the right of way on their land in 2017 and created a permissive bridleway. 

Ramblers magazine said, “Brian is someone who has, and still is, making an outstanding contribution to the improvement of our walking environment and access to the countryside.”

Brian said, “It is a bit daunting to be given an award like this, just for doing something that I have enjoyed very much. My wife deserves an award really, for coping with a husband who has become somewhat obsessed over the years! 

“Of course I feel quite honoured by it all, though it isn’t very comfortable to be there as many other people were involved, I was just the front face, so got noticed. Up to a point though, I am glad, as exposure locally is important for the Ramblers nationally. They do a great deal of work at national and county level, mostly unseen by the local population, and as an organisation, they need to be visible and build up membership. 

“There are many people who love walking the countryside in Wiltshire, and they need to be persuaded that joining the Ramblers is the best way to contribute!

“The Ramblers, as well as organising led walks through their local groups, very much consider it to be their remit to promote the importance of the rights of way network as a public benefit of great value for the health and well-being of the general public. 

“It is our opinion that the rights of way department of Wiltshire Council is very much a Cinderella in the Wiltshire Council family, and its staff numbers much reduced by the austerity cuts of recent years. 

“We provide them with some support by providing a weekly working party to help with maintenance and improvements in and around our West Wilts patch, the old West Wilts District Council area. Also, we are on Wiltshire Council’s list of consultees for RoW (Rights of Way) matters and do not hesitate to intervene when we it consider it appropriate. 

“We try to input positively in these cases, and to support the rights of way dept and to raise their profile, as indeed do the other Wiltshire Ramblers groups in their areas. There is much work to be done if the nearly 4,000 miles of public rights of way in Wiltshire are to be maintained and improved to their full potential.”

For more information about the West Wilts Ramblers, and other rambling groups in Wiltshire visit: https://west.wiltsswindon ramblers.org.uk.