Guildford Ramblers Pay For and Install Third Kissing Gate for SCC

Published on: 16 Jun, 2019
Updated on: 21 Jun, 2019

Smiles but no kisses at the newly installed kissing gate near Holmbury, St Mary. Ramblers members (from left) David Farmer, Robert Owen and Basil Minor.

Guildford Ramblers have paid for and installed their third kissing gate for Surrey County Council on a path in woodland above Holmbury St Mary. It replaces a stile which was awkward for the elderly or infirm to get over.

Ramblers chair Lynne Davies said: “The county council no longer has the funds to look after all our footpaths as they would wish to so volunteer groups like the Ramblers are making a major contribution to the upkeep of footpaths.

“Where the council has no funds for a gate and the landlord or tenant isn’t able to help, we can sometimes find funds ourselves. Earlier this year, we obtained funding from the Ramblers’ national head office to pay for six kissing gates and we are very pleased to undertake this programme, which benefits all walkers in our county.”

Apart from installing the gate, this month’s Guildford Ramblers’ working party of 12 volunteers cleared low scrub and moved fallen and cut timber to restore 250 metres of footpath from Holmbury Hill down to Felday Glade. Four waymark posts were also put in.

Working-party leader Colin Selvin said: “It amazes me how much a small band of volunteers can achieve in half a day. Clearing the fallen timber and scrub was hard work and digging holes for the posts and gate was extremely tough with many large stones and dry, dusty soil. But it’s well worth it to open up and improve paths so people can enjoy them.”

All are welcome to join Guildford Ramblers on its walks. There is an eight- to 10-mile walk every weekend (usually Saturday) and two five- to six-mile walks on a Wednesday morning. There are shorter “taster” walks on the first Monday morning of the month.

For further information go to www.guildfordramblers.org.uk and click on the walks programme tab.

Guildford Ramblers celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Responses to Guildford Ramblers Pay For and Install Third Kissing Gate for SCC

Jim Allen Reply

June 16, 2019 at 12:06 pm

Useful gate. We have one of these at Riverside Nature reserve to prevent unaccompanied children and cyclists from accessing route into the park.

Shame bikes, wheelchairs and pushchairs can’t get through. Pretty restricting and fails to comply with “access for all” principles as wheelchair users need a key. The Key is not available for cyclists or pushchair users. And the gate featured doesn’t even appear to have had this facility and like the car park at Riverside pretty pointless, if the ‘other’ gate is more accessible.
Peta Lawrence Reply

June 16, 2019 at 2:35 pm

Great to see that a style has been replaced with a kissing gate. But is it also a wheelchair accessible one?

We frequently take my daughter out in her off-road wheelchair buggy, but this would stop us accessing the woodland.
George Potter Reply

June 17, 2019 at 9:57 am

It’s a lovely looking gate and well done to Guildford Ramblers for being so public-spirited, but in this day and age why are kissing gates still being put in that are wheelchair inaccessible?

George Potter is a Lib Dem borough councillor for Burpham
Colin Selvin Reply

June 22, 2019 at 11:48 pm

Thanks to those who have commented.

The gate featured was matched to the practicality of the location. Guildford Ramblers have indeed installed larger ‘access gates’ where appropriate. Our path maintenance team work in conjunction with Surrey County Council’s Countryside Access department, who deal with landowner liaison, risk assessments & indeed choice of gates to provide access suitable to each public right of way.