History of the Winnaway

The following are notes about the history of the Winnaway, based mainly on correspondence in the PC files. 

Thanks to the parish council for allowing access to their file (mainly meeting minutes). The notes were prepared before the recent upgrade of the Winnaway.
David Marsh
May 2014

 

• HPC Harwell Parish Council
• BCC Berkshire County Council 
• OCC Oxford County Council 

1804 enclosures act defined the Winnaway as a private road

1940~ HPC lays gravel path for benefit of RAF

1957 Path is tarmacked, cost (£500) split between BCC and HPC

1969 Residents of the Biel and Winnaway Farm remove soil from track and lay stone foundation

1977 About half the path is resurfaced. Cost (also £500) split between OCC and HPC

1989 Spent chippings delivered to resurface some of the track (spread by residents)

 

1804 Defined in the Berkshire Enclosures for Harwell.

 

1940~HPC lays gravel path for benefit of RAF
1948 Sep  Harwell Parish Council (HPC) wants (Berkshire County Council) BCC to take over the Winnaway, with gravel path constructed by HPC for the benefit of the RAF personnel before and during the war years.  Now used by AERE personnel and a more durable surface needed.

1949 waiting for passage into law of Access to Countryside Bill.

1950 Winnaway Farm owner gives notice of intention to fence off its property, and requests adjustment to footpath which encroaches its land.  Response is that PC is planning to have path made up, and it will not encroach on the farm land.

1950 expenditure to make path serviceable estimated at £360 (2 ½ d rate), noting all footpaths now County Council responsibility.  BCC responds path diversion needs legal process, and there’s no money for paths.

1957 BCC saying no point in resurfacing unless path is segregated from private road. – but work now in hand £500 for asphalt.  Half contributed by Parish, half by BCC.  Thanks for work done, but worry about inappropriate use and what by-laws can be invoked.

1959  Jan BCC invokes Enclosure act status, and confirms that the track is now marked as carrying a public footpath right of way.  Shown a Draft Map and no objections raised.  Hence we have a private carriage road carrying a public right of foot passage.  Normally BCC would not spend any money in this situation because path could be ruined by wheels of vehicles using the private road, and hence public have to use the path as they find it.  However, exception was made for Winnaway, and at north end posts were placed so as to segregate the path from the track.  Needed full agreement of rightful users.  BCC officer will hope to see the persons who are alleged to be attracting vehicles and point out the inconvenience caused to the general public and ask them to keep their vehicles off the path.

1966 BCC disappointed the locals are disgruntled over major works being carried out (not clear what these are)

1969 and before.  The track was inaccessible to residents in the winter except for farm vehicles. – see note at the end (2007)

1974 HPC complains that new tenant of the land adjacent old reservoir insists on driving her landrover over the tarmac path. Oxford County Council (OCC) replies that path is fine – what’s the problem.  Rural pathway, use as found.!  HPC still wants something done, but OCC says no.

1975 still talk of bollards for the Winnaway.

1977 OCC say no funds, but total area 1210 sq. metres.710 needs attention.  Tarmac to cost 70p per sq.m = £497..  HPC offers 50%.  OCC accept the precedent from BCC, and agree to 50%.  Work is for half the path to a minimal level of improvement.  No start date.  Assumed to be done.

1988.  HPC complains to OCC about state of Winnaway where path crosses from left to right of Winnaway to clump of trees known as the “cuckoo pen”.  OCC say this is a farm entrance, and they would never maintain it.

1989 residents complain about state of path, and farm machinery churning up the track.  HPC writes to OCC, passing on complaints.  OCC is carrying out “siding out” work – ie clear grass, mud and overhanging branches.  But no more money.

1989  HPC says one of the councillors lives in the Winnaway and requests any spent chippings.  OCC agree to supply.

Resident says improvements good, but motor cyclist now using the path, and pushing mother and toddlers out of the way.

1992 complaints of farmer dumping manure on path (but not affecting right of way).  Signing at each end of Winnaway is in hand.

1995 HPC to Thames water who have laid pipes for ~50m at south end of Winnaway, and on to AEA Site, and not cleared up.  And HPC to OCC asking to repair broken posts/bollards.  More “siding out” and minor patching agreed by OCC.

1996 more spent chippings asked for by HPC for northern end.

1998 OCC says Winnaway a Category 4 path, and no money to be spent.

1999 more residents complaints about path.  OCC walk it and say it’s reasonable.

2005, HPC to the Kennels, The Bield who must have complained about cyclists.  HPC notes Winnaway is only a footpath and will ask cyclists (via Harwell News) to show courtesy to other users.

2006 A parishioner  suggest making it a bridleway, and researches procedures.  This must have gone into Harwell News, because:

2007 Jan Winnaway Farm owner writes to object to change of use.  He notes that until 1969 the track was inaccessible to residents in the winter except for farm vehicles. His predecessor paid to have the soil dug out and a stone base provided to enable access to the Bield and Winnaway farm.  Cars were left on Reading Road, or on Old A34.  He notes also that the Riding School uses the track with permission for horse rides.

end