It is a sad reflection on the rambling community when the actions of a very small number make it difficult for others including the farmers who make their living from the land.
It had been reported to the County Council Footpath Officer that two gates were locked across a public right of way from Milwich to Fradswell. Following discussions with the landowner, it transpired that the gates had been left open on more than one occasion by walkers and the cattle had strayed into other fields. They were also at risk of falling into the steep sided Wall Brook. As a result, for the safety of his cattle the farmer had had to lock the gates.
It was concluded that the most effective solution to the problem was to install a stile either side of the brook with a 12 foot bridge between them. This was a fairly significant job for the Milwich Footpath Group; it proved difficult to get a big enough team together to do this job in a single session so the job was planned to be completed over two days.
There were three of us, Mark, Paul and Richard for the first session on Thursday 12th September. It was a overcast but warm morning, the sun came out a little later. First job was to clear some of the long vegetation on either side of Wall Brook and cut back the barbed wire fences so we could access the site properly. We then worked on both sides of the brook simultaneously to install the stiles. Once these were in place (and following a coffee break), we installed a section of fence on each side, together with dog gates. This enabled us to refix the barbed wire to the new fences.
The next problem was to install the foundations for the bridge. The banks looked quite wide on both sides but this was not the case, much of the apparent bank was loose vegetation and soil. To get a solid base for the bridge we had to 
install the foundations close to each of the stiles. These were secured in place with posts driven into the ground. The bridge was then constructed by nailing together two 12 foot lengths of sleeper which was then slid into place on the foundations.
install the foundations close to each of the stiles. These were secured in place with posts driven into the ground. The bridge was then constructed by nailing together two 12 foot lengths of sleeper which was then slid into place on the foundations.At this point the fields were secure and the job could safely be left for completion at a later date. It had been a long session and we all felt we had had a good workout, no need for a gym if you work with us! So now it was time for some liquid refreshment at The Green Man.
Fields secure and job left safely
The second session was planned for the following Sunday but, as heavy rain was forecast, it was decided to bring this forward to Saturday 14th September. The day started overcast and cool but brightened up as we worked. This time the team consisted of Richard, Malcolm and Paul. Malcolm started digging holes for the stile steps on the Fradswell side and Richard on the Milwich side. Paul completed the securing of the bridge by driving in posts on each side and then cut the timbers required to install the stile steps.
Once the steps were in place, all that remained was to install a handrail on the bridge and attach the waymarkers and other signs and clear up our tools and the site.
The finished job from the Fradswell side
- The finished job from the Milwich side
