Friday 23 February 2024

Squeeze through, chicane, disguised half-stable door!

They are my names for what the anti-walkers' brigade have put in on my secret passage, high above Illey Lane, between the Old Toll House and Illey Mill.  Do go and have a look before the spring/summer growth, please.  I'm trying to use it more, now to help keep the path open but 'snip and cut' is really helpful to keep it open.

I re-opened it between Christmas Day and New Years Day so it can be accessed easily until the brambles and stinging nettles get going!  It is my gateway, access path to the official ROW network but mine is on WCC public highway land.

 

The path is on the Romsley side of the lane down to the mill, using the grass verge to begin with, with my hedge plantings at the mill end.


I need more help, your help please, to get WCC to put a path away from the poisoned air of that busy rat run, nearer to the hedge where walkers will enjoy walking much more.  The WCC Countryside Service has done an excellent job, this winter, in clearing the old, one way, Illey Lane where it runs past 'The Old Toll House' on the Grange Hill House side.

 

Only 100 m is needed out of the full 400 m between Bibbey's gate/track going into the dog training field and Illey Mill.  That 100 m is where the grass verge is and it already gets cut by WCC.  But it needs a professionally engineered and level, one metre wide path cut as near as possible to the hedge.  The WCC also, in some years, cuts that hedge once a year.  The remaining 300 metres that I look after must NOT be touched.  That is where I am slowly renewing the hedge.

 

This route is the Black Country's main gateway, access path into our NW Worcs ROW network, west of the M5 and SW of Illey Lane.


The disguised half-stable door is no more - as from 6 March 2024, I have discovered!

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