A new permissive footpath

February 01, 2025 by in News

From David Corney on behalf of Long Wittenham Parish Council.

I thought you and the other Clifton Hampden Parish Councillors would be pleased to know that we are planning to open a new permissive footpath between Long Wittenham and Clifton Hampden.  The opening will take place in the spring/summer, and we would like to invite you and any of the other Clifton Hampden Councillors to the opening, together with anyone from Clifton Hampden village who wants to.  We are still pulling together details for the opening, and I will be in touch with you later when things are a little clearer, and the date/time and location have been finalised.  An article about this will be appearing in an edition of The Bridge, likely in March.

The path has come about thanks to the idea and perseverance of Mark Thompson, a Long Wittenham Parish Councillor.  Establishing the permissive footpath would not have been possible without the generosity of Robin Buxton and The Gibbs’ Estate, who have allowed the permissive path to cross their land, and to whom we are very grateful.

Although most of the footpath crosses agricultural land, due to landowners’ constraints, the start of the path from Long Wittenham runs along the roadside verge for a few hundred yards before entering Robin Buxton’s land a hundred yards or so past Lower Farm.  The remainder of the path is “off-road”, and the footpath eventually emerges into the car park of the Barley Mow.

A short opening ceremony will take place later in the year to formally open the footpath, and people from Long Wittenham and Clifton Hampden are warmly invited to attend the ceremony.  Details including the day, time and location will be published nearer the time.