In recent months many of us have discovered how lucky we are to live in this corner of Berkshire. We are fortunate to have access to a network of paths, bridleways and byways that allow us to visit the countryside around the parish.
I have just spent a sunny afternoon walking the lanes and paths around the north of the parish. I met very few people and saw plenty of nature, including birds, butterflies, dragonflies and lots of hedgerow fruit.
One of the members of Binfield Environment Group has recently put together a list of the names of the 27 footpaths, bridleways, and byways on the definitive map (the official map and list of rights of way). Although many of the rights of way in the parish have existed for a long time, even on the first ordnance survey maps (produced in the late 19th century) they are only referred to by a number. It is likely that most of them will have had local names, someof which were recorded in a list put together by the parish council in 1970. In the intervening 50 years some lanes have been restricted so that they are not used by motorised vehicles and the names of the lanes have become the names of the paths.
We were concerned that these historic names would be lost as a new definitive list of paths is being produced. I don’t think I am alone in preferring Goldridge Path to FP6 – this is the path that runs from Wicks Green to Carters Hill. We have been reassured by both the borough and parish councils that they will keep the record of path names.
New developments around the parish have opened up additional areas of countryside for our enjoyment, and have provided new paths. I’m sure that some of these paths have already been named by their regular users.
There are also a couple of permissive paths where the landowners currently allow the public to walk across their land. For example, Mosses Path is a permissive path that runs between Binfield Football Club and Stubbs Hill road. As this is on land that is owned by Bracknell Forest Council and leased to the football club, we have asked if this can be turned into a formal right of way.
I am tempted to do an occasional feature on little known paths around the village. My first entry is Sweet Well Path - this runs from London Road to Beehive Road along the western side of Springfield Road. The path is still there but you may struggle to find it, particularly when it gets choked by spring growth. This path used to pass a well for use by the Amen Corner houses, which was called "Sweet Well" in the 1817 map.