Footpath diversion

The route of this path should pass close to the building on the left.
Fortunately it was reasonably easy to walk.

New route for Melbourne FP12

This picture is taken from almost the same point of view as the one previous!

Melbourne FP12 latest

The footpath is back in again - marked out by weedkiller.
I walked the whole length this afternoon and it was very pleasant.

Some Good News

Dave Adkins of SDDC tells me that Melbourne FP12 is being put back in by its recalcitrant* landowner.

The pallet blocking the Swarkestone Causeway path towards the north end has gone though it seems to have been replaced by wire meshing. The sign is still missing here also.

The problems in Ticknall have been reported and more have come to notice elsewhere.

*my description not Dave's.

March 20 Update

The Isley Walton farmer who has to be constantly pushed to put back Melbourne FP12 from Wilson Lane to Station Road has been served "notice" by DCC. Let's hope this has some affect upon him.

The Stanton path from the Village Green to the Hills will definitely get a prominent metal FP sign.
Thanks to Dave Adkins of SDDC for working on these problems.

Update to March Status Report (11 March)

The Stanton-by-Bridge path (from the Turkey Oak to the Hills) is to have a new metal sign to replace the decapitated wooden one.
There is a query about the (new) gate here.
Has there always been one here (as the house owner claims)?

Troublesome Ticknall

The paths on the Calke estate are generally well maintained but cross the road in Ticknall and things become a lot harder.

It's the usual story, local farmers not putting paths back in after ploughing. The Scaddows side of Ticknall can be tough going with the heavy clay.

Two paths this weekend have been very difficult. The first one starts from behind Orchard Barn on the Ashby Road. After crossing a narrow field a rickety stile takes you into a large field with no discernible path. The route eventually leaves the field through a twin metal gate over a small stream heading towards Top Farm.















Looking back to houses on Ashby Road. Heavy clay - no path.
On the return leg of the walk the path from the Hartshorne Road is a nightmare crossing heavy ploughed up clay. This path has been a problem in the past. Is it ever properly maintained?















Footpath from Ashby Road. Over the stile things get difficult!

Status report - March 2007

Looking back over the past few months I summarise below what the present status is with path problems reported in the Melbourne area to Derbyshire County Council.

Unresolved problems:
Swarkestone Causeway - missing sign and blocked access (reported December 2006).
Melbourne FP12 - route not put back after ploughing in Autumn 2006 (many reports over two years).
Melbourne Pool to Pool Farm - collapsed stile only partially repaired.
Stanton by Bridge - missing finger post on path that starts opposite Turkey Oak on the village green. 13/3 - a gate has now been installed across the path.

Resolved:
Melbourne FP12 - signs placed on Station Road and Wilson Lane.
Melbourne Cockshut Lane - redundant sign removed but no sign through Loake Court complex.

Proper signposting - La Gomera, Canary Islands

Crossing the Valle Gran Rey, Encardo, La Gomera
Have just spent a week in remote La Gomera and was amazed by the quality of the footpath sign posting.
Even better than some local paths in Leicestershire.
As to some South Derbyshire local paths ....

Melbourne Pool stile repair??

The stile by the Pool has had "some sort" of repair job done but not a great one! Compare this with the photograph taken in January.
Click here

Somerset CC's online map

Over on the Footpath Guardians closed discussion group (www.ramblers.org.uk) is a thread about county council online mapping and problem path reporting.

The Somerset CC system is slow (at least on my system) but footpaths are labelled and problems can be reported directly on the map. The name of the reporter is kept anonymous but dates of reporting and action are available.

The Somerset site is here:
http://tinyurl.com/2pqrtr

There's also some good information about the Definitive Map on this site.

A tale of two mapping adventures

Well done to Leicestershire on its online mapping project of the County Definitive Map. The web site is walker friendly and contains first class maps and Definitive Map information such as Footpath numbers and routes. It's fast and easy to navigate.

It can be found here:
http://magnet.leics.gov.uk/magnet/prow/Search.asp

What has Derbyshire been up to? Well, nothing near as good. To view the mapping portal you have to sign an online agreement! Then what you get is nothing better than the offering of multimap, streetmap.co.uk or viamichelin. I wonder how much all this is costing?

The mapping for walkers provides little more than is provided by OS. Perhaps I'm missing something. The old maps are interesting but sometimes the sheets do not abut (though they do on their original sites).

We, in Derbyshire, have more attractive countryside (I am biased here!) but worse DM mapping and much poorer footpath signage.

Derbyshire's mapping portal can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/2bvz55

Melbourne FP12 - Looking towards Station Road

Another view from Wilson Lane looking north towards Station Road.
The path should pass just to the left of the small building in the field on the right but is still not back in. (Photo best viewed large.)

Redundant Cockshut Lane Post Removed

This "lost" and marooned footpath sign on Cockshut Lane Melbourne
has been removed by the SDDC ROW team after being reported last month.

The path has been diverted but the post had been left in.
The new route, through Loake Court, is still to be signed however.

Swarkestone Path Problem

The Swarkestone Causeway to Stanton-by-Bridge path is blocked by
a farmer's pallet. Within the last five years there was also a footpath marker here. Reported to DCC 4 Dec 2006. Waiting for action. Location: SK369281
A close up shot can be found here.

Melbourne FP12

Photo of new sign taken on a bleak February day.
The location is on Wilson Lane between Melbourne and Wilson.
Location: SK399250

Melbourne FP12 has a finger post at last!

After many years Melbourne FP12 is again signposted on the Wilson side.
We now need to get the actual path back in. But it's a start!
Thanks to Dave Adkins of SDDC for his support.
A new sign has also been erected on Station Road, Melbourne, though I haven't got down there yet.