Out & About August 2017

RAMBLING ON

As the West Berkshire Ramblers celebrate 50 years of striding across the countryside, BEN PALFREYMAN joins them on one of their mid-morning walks and discovers they’re more than just a social group – they help maintain public pathways too – and many rambles also include a stop for a well-earned drink and a bite to eat at the nearest pub

LesleyWebb, Chris Reynolds, and Sue Green, at St Lawrence’s Church,West Challow

M y first foray into the world of the West Berkshire Ramblers took place on a grey Tuesday morning, with the promise of rain in the air – but that wasn’t going to stop any of the large crowd of walkers that were patiently waiting in the pub car park. Just the sort of sporting attitude one can get on board with. I clocked a look of relief from the group leader, as I swiftly changed from my flip-flops into more suitable walking shoes and promptly joined the group as they headed off through the village to start the six-mile walk around the village of Letcombe Regis. VILLAGES AND VALES It wasn’t long before we had passed through the charming village and into the countryside of the Vale of White Horse, an area which sat within the Berkshire boundary until 1974, before most of it was incorporated into the neighbouring county of Oxfordshire. The walk was largely flat – as is most of the vale – and went through picturesque fields, alongside tiny streams and through gorgeous villages.

A particular highlight was the village of Childrey, with its charming duck pond, quaint cottages and enticing coffee shop – the promise of a coffee and cake would have proven far too alluring had I not been with the rambling group. Fortunately, one tradition of the group is to stop for a flask of tea and snack halfway through the walk, and the porch of St Lawrence’s in West Challow proved the perfect spot. It’s a fact West Berkshire Ramblers currently have 354 members. Their Tuesday walks regularly attract around 25 members – on a sunny day this can rise to 40 several times a year. The first walkers into the churchyard got the posh seats on the benches, while those of us bringing up the rear got to perch on the grassy banks – and even the dogs were happy, splashing about in the stream that passes by. Walking with a group that had been on these walks before meant that I was able to learn so much about the countryside we were in.

Passing through one particular meadow, I was advised to look out for roe deer that could often be seen in a certain field, and just a few moments later, as we rounded a bend in the path, we spotted a magnificent group – something we may have missed if we hadn’t been with those in the know. TRAIL BEGINNINGS It was way back in 1932 when it all began on Kinder Scout, a moorland plateau in what is now known as the Peak District. Things turned violent and several ramblers were arrested and imprisoned, but over the following weeks, larger organised trespasses were held and public opinion swayed in favour of the ramblers. These trespasses led the way to the establishment of our much-loved National Parks, long distance footpaths and eventually to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which granted unprecedented unrestricted access to thousands of square kilometres of countryside. On 24 April, groups of ramblers from Manchester and Sheffield held a mass trespass on the land, clashing with the gamekeepers of local landowners.

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