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Hello,
Similar repairs have been done on the private track between East and West Ginge. Potholes filled with loose gravel
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Hello,
Similar repairs have been done on Route 544 on the track between East and West Ginge. Potholes filled with loose gravel.
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Given the state of this track, could I ask that cyclists at speed give audible warning of overtaking? I was coming off the top of Hagbourne Hill the other day towards the reservoir and not going particularly fast (forgot my helmet) when another cyclist overtook me at great speed with a <12″ clearance. I have no objection to great speed but, given the state of the track and the fact I didn’t know he was coming, I could have swerved to avoid stones or whatever and he would have been off and a right mess. I suspect a bell would have been too much weight for him 🙂 but a shout would have done…
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Hi,
Should we report the bad status of the track and the dangers caused by these repairs to the Oxfordshire County Council?
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Well, interestingly, probably not. I thought that section was a BOAT and making it too good would just encourage cars to use it. From the definitive map:
It is marked as a “Road used as a public path” which is now: Restricted Byway (formerly Road Used as Public Path RUPP): A public right of way with recorded rights to walk, ride a horse or bicycle and use a horse drawn carriage.
Which would indicate it isn’t a road and the county council are unlikely to move it above the 40 year waiting time level in road repairs so there isn’t much point taking that route.
However, I believe, given concerns about decreased cycle safety on the road to Chilton once the new junction is built (with no feasible cycle safety provision) one could use that as a justification for OCC improving the route over Hagbourne Hill (in addition to the Winnaway as part of the junction scheme. Worth a try…
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I have filed a report on the OCC website.
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Well I just got an e-mail that the problem has been fixed!
http://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/report/493322
When I passed this morning around 7:30am the problem was still there.
Anyone that passed later witnessed any repairs?
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Hi,
More repairs were made today, and they make the route way more dangerous. I have filled a new report at http://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/report/496821
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And a video of the route, where you can see also a car using the restricted byway ( I thought this was not permitted?)
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Can’t see the video. Youtube says the video’s ‘private’.
I agree the path is now worse than it was.
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Sorry, I have fixed the permissions.
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Thank you! Perhaps we could put some signs meanwhile, ‘please do not make any more repairs like this any more’!
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More dodgy repairs to note (if you weren’t aware already) the track from Chilton to the George and Dragon (Flinty hill?) has had some similar repairs carried out. the aggregate that they have used is verging on builders rubble! at the top of the incline its mainly pot holes that have been filled, but at the bottom there is a section approx 3-4 metre long going t he full width of the track which made my ride home yesturday interesting for a few seconds. Hope this is helpful.
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I like Flinty Hill, very descriptive! The Lynch Way (its real name) is a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT), and the landowner is responsible for maintenance. In this case, the land is owned by one of the farmers (can’t remember which one, sorry) and I’m afraid their usual method of repairing tracks seems to be to fill potholes with rubble. It means they can still get their tractors up and down it, but it might be less appealing for the travelling community who have a history of parking their caravans towards the top of the track. At least the track is open – in years gone by, the landowner has felled trees across the track to stop the travelling community – imagine coming down the steep bit at speed to find a metre-diameter tree trunk right across the bottom end :-0
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There are some similar repairs on the wide track from the Icknield Way south to Chilton, via the A34 underpass. I presume they’ve been carried out by the farmer. Just before the underpass there’s the remains of what looks like the original heap of stones, along with an older and untouched pile of finer material. The hole-fillings on that section seem to be fairly well consolidated and a mountain bike will cross them with no problem, even at speed.
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Thames water contractors had made some repairs few months ago at a small part of the byway close to the pedestrian crossing, which were also of not much better quality: they used a small digger to spread the material on the road, leavng narrow ditches created by the bucket’s footprint. These ditches cover the entire width of the road and are impossible to avoid.
Anyway meawhile traffic and rain washed away most of the material, and made the ditches smoother.
We should advice whoever is planning to do repairs they need to be cycling friendly:). I would be glad to help with any temporary workaround meanwhile.
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Reply from OCC:
‘Oxfordshire County Council : We have inspected this problem
according to our Highways policies and have assessed that no further
work is currently required. However we will continue to monitor it
over the next 3 months. Thank you for your report.’ -
This weeks road closures seem to have made the situation worse – I have noticed a few cars travelling up this way and they seem to have spread the gravel around quite a bit. The clean track though the middle that was appearing seems to have gone again.
I’ve learnt to travel very slowly down this hill now, but I nearly came-a-cropper on the way up this mooring – I’d say this track is now pretty dangerous for commuter / touring bikes…. In fact I haven’t seen another bike on this track for months.
If anyone is looking for help in cleaning the track up – I’d also be willing.
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