Wysis Way in Gloucestershire

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 Offwidth 18 Feb 2018

A wander from just above Mitcheldean to Symonds Yat looked like a stress free way to spend a half day while the BMC National Council was discussing the ORG review and turned into a full on adventure with several points where experienced mountain navigators completely lost the path (and some micro-navigation through bogged woods to get back),  some inadventant trespass and help from several locals who ranged from people who can't identify where they live on an OS map to the wildly enthusaistic and helpful. Lots of fallen trees blocking the path.  On several sections in the Forest of Dean this supposed major path seemed to have been superceeded by a mountain bike track (which ironically was very well signposted) and in a role reversal which was a first for me we were 'told off' for walking on this section of access land. A grand adventure but exceedingly disappointing signage and maintenence for a section of such a long distance walk, much of it also part of the Gloucestershire Way.

Are other national paths falling into such a parlous state?

 

Post edited at 18:57
OP Offwidth 19 Feb 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

Tumbleweed...  shame really, thought this would be important for hillwalkers.

 alan moore 20 Feb 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

Fascinating! I'd never heard of the Wysis and had to look it up. I know the paths well from growing up in Ruardean Woodside and walking all over the Forest. It does appear to take in some gritty ground and I remember the new cycle path appearing on the old railway line south of Serridge Green. Used to be a proper wilderness out there with lots of little trout streams.

Not sure how you found your way across the fields to Hillersland. Got lost there once and chased by cows until my huge H-frame rucksack toppled me over a barbed wire fence to safety.

if you go down in the woods today....

 TobyA 20 Feb 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

The Forest of Dean, it's England's Appalachia. You are lucky you ever escaped, and were not captured and made to marry someone's mum who is also their sister, or just got eaten.

pasbury 20 Feb 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

Different rules round here! I’m surprised you weren’t savaged by a boar.

on the other hand public footpaths are only a rough approximation so we generally just walk wherever the hell we like and accept a constant state of unease and foreboding.

 Bulls Crack 21 Feb 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

Promoted routes, such as this one, do not have any national status unlike National Trails,  and can vary from local authority routes to someone's   pet project. They do however  generally use public rights of way which are currently facing a maintenance crisis in many areas.  

OP Offwidth 21 Feb 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:

Sure, but the worst sections for navigation were common with the Gloucestershire Way.

I'm aware of the reputation of FoD and I must admit it's been a while since I saw so many khaki camouflage pants in a pub. To be honest the locals we met on (/off!) the path were lovely, even in the face of inadvertant tresspass; the only pricks were two young middle class mountain bikers playing "get orf my track" in access land,  in the face of pleas that the path location was lost, the map said we were in the right place and we would be very careful. It reminded me of sad behaviour of some ramblers to mountain bikes on permitted tracks.

Post edited at 08:34
 toad 21 Feb 2018
In reply to Offwidth:

Rights of way comes right at the bottom of any LAs priority list these days. Unfortunately most of us dont pay council tax where we walk and local priorities are focussed on stuff like policing and social care. Some have pretty much abandoned any pretence at monitoring conditions, let alone maintenance of ROWs. Particularly outside of Nat. Parks, there isnt the money or incentive for path maintenance. Im guessing the mtb track had some private funding, which was why they were hacked off with freeloading red socks on their path. 

Back door privatisation of access to the countryside is very much the next thing for cash starved councils. Look on your own doorstep- all our big country park areas are privatised, be it serco at holme pierrepoint or the RSPB in sherwood 

 Greasy Prusiks 21 Feb 2018
In reply to toad:

Agreed. The LAs with the most paths/most used paths to maintain are often the LAs with less money at their disposal. The FoD is a good example. If you walk the Cotswold Way it's much better maintained because it runs through wealthier LAs. In my opinion it would make more sense to fund them nationally so that areas like the FoD get funded proportional to the amount of paths/use they have to maintain. 


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