For immediate use - Sunday, 18 October 2015
Monday Group - Rights of Way Volunteers
Monday Group are volunteer group based in Ditchling, East Sussex who maintain public rights of way and design, build and install stiles, bridges and steps allowing walkers to enjoy the beautiful Sussex countryside. The group is now funded by donations from local organisations and private individuals, among them farmers and landowners who have come to respect its work. It also raises its own funds by the sale of bird boxes, wildlife and insect habitats, coffee mornings, jumble sales etc.
Southbank Ramblers come mainly from the London Boroughs of Southwark & Lambeth and regularly walk throughout Sussex. "Often fed up with coming across stiles that are broken and often difficult to climb over, we came across some installed by the Monday Group. They are wonderful ! We had some spare money so decided to fund some stiles in an area that we love to walk in. They are a great design and they seem lovingly made with the initials of the maker on them. The Group is a inspiration and really contributes to the enjoyment of the countryside”, says Sue Ellenby, Chair of Southbank Ramblers.
During 2015 the group funded £800.00 for the construction of five stiles on public footpaths between Plumpton & East Chiltington after seeing other stiles installed by Monday Group and contacting the group via their website www.mondaygroup.org
In torrential rain and strong wind on 5th October a group from Southbank Ramblers walked from Plumpton Station to Lewes via a number of the stiles they funded, they stopped for a brief photo call with local photographer Ian Pack images below.
Stiles funded by Southbank Walkers are installed at the following locations: Footpath Plumpton 13A at TQ 362 162
Footpath East Chiltington 41 at TQ 379 162
Footpath East Chiltington 41 at TQ 380 162
Footpath East Chiltington 41 at TQ 381 161
South Bank Ramblers' stile to be installed after discussion with the landowner:
Footpath East Chiltington 41 at TQ 382 160
<> E N D S <>
MEDIA CONTACTS
www.mondaygroup.org
Media contact:
Jim Edwards, Monday Group, jim.edmail@btinternet.com 07711 163043
www.southbankramblers.org.uk
Sue Ellenby, Chair, Southbank Ramblers, ellenbysue@btinternet.com 07834 311422
Editors Notes
Monday Group was founded in 1962 by Harold Rowling MBE.
During WW2, under the Defence of the Realm Act, the South Downs were firstly cultivated to help the war effort, then requisitioned by the armed forces as gunnery ranges, the targets, from both land and sea, being the farm buildings. Public access was naturally forbidden but as up to 15 years after the war the footpaths and rights-of-way onto the Downs had still not been re-opened, partly because farmers and other landowners have never liked people tramping across their land but also because the Downs were riddled with unexploded ordnance.
Harold and Pam Rowling had met in 1939 in Lewes when Harold’s London school had been moved to Sussex. After the war and the end of his studies in London as an engineer, Harold returned to the girl and the countryside he loved and they settled in the house Harold designed, in Westmeston in 1953.
One day, Pam said: “Harold, I want to take the dogs for walks on the Downs but all the ways up are still blocked. You’ve got to do something about it.” From that day onward, Harold began to do that something!
Bomb clearance and disposal on the Downs began around 1960.
Harold alone and then with local helpers began to identify and clear footpaths that had been choked by brambles, blackthorn and barbed wire for many years. The first of these was the Westmeston Bostal.
Sometime in the 1970s, Reg Adsett moved into the district, and not only became the village postman but also a pillar of the Monday Group. It was not until1982, when Harold retired from full-time employment himself, and Mondays, when Reg had less postal work to do, replaced Sundays, that the Monday Group proper came into being.
Its progress ever since, within an approximate 5-mile radius of Ditchling, has been remarkable. All known footpaths have been opened, cleared, maintained and furnished where necessary with stiles, causeways, bridges, steps and sign-posts which are all
regularly kept in safe, usable condition for walkers of all ages. At least 1,000 stiles* alone have been built and installed by the Monday Group during the last 54 years. All its structures are built of locally-sourced green oak for strength and long life.
As well as creating its own structures - the majority of them designed by Harold and modified and refined over the years – the Monday Group will repair and maintain, or replace any footpath structure in need of attention, made by others.
The current total voluntary workforce numbers about 35, mostly retired men and women, who not only enjoy participating in a very worthwhile enterprise but also the company and interaction with others as they work, in beautiful surroundings, in all weathers.
The group is now funded by donations from local organisations and private individuals, among them farmers and landowners who have come to respect its work. It also raises its own funds by the sale of bird boxes, wildlife and insect habitats, coffee mornings, jumble sales etc.
* The number of structures, of all kinds, and the area covered in over half a century of work, would be hard indeed to estimate, so the approximate number of stiles must serve to suggest that the total is very considerable.
Click on image to view larger and download for reproduction - images are sRGB, 1800x 1200pixels (6"x4" 300dpi):
Image name:
051015009
Image caption:
Officers of South Bank Ramblers admiring one of the stiles...in the rain!
Image name:
051015021
Image caption:
South Bank Ramblers' Committee.. soaked but happy to meet Harold and try out one of the stiles.
Image name:
051015030-1
Image Caption:
Sue Ellenby (Chair) & Dudley Cloake of Southbank Rambers with one of the stiles funded by Southbank Ramblers
Image name:
Harold Rowling MBE-200715-055
Image Caption:
Harold Rowling MBE, Founder of Monday Group with one of the stiles funder by Southbank Ramblers
Image name:
Harold Rowling MBE-founder-MondayGroup-IMG_0477
Image Caption:
Harold Rowling MBE, Founder of Monday Group outside the Ditchling workshop
Queries and questions regarding images, image use and licensing should be directed to the copyright owner Ian Pack 07710 814665 ianpack@gmail.com All image remain the property of the copyright owner Ian Pack. Monday Group & Southbank Ramblers are granted license to distribute the images shown in this press release to promote Monday Group and/or Southbank Ramblers.
Image use license
The images shown above maybe be used by Monday Group and Southbank Ramblers to promote the interests of each group individually or jointly. The images are not to be loaned or resold or lodged with or uploaded to any photograph image library or agency. Use by The Argus and Newsquest Media Group is specifically prohibited.
No comments:
Post a Comment