Our Volunteers Replace another Footbridge in Horley (Oct & Dec 2024)
The culmination of a busy 2024 saw the Reigate Ramblers footpath volunteers and friends completing work to replace all of the woodwork on a 4-bay footbridge northeast of Horley in Surrey.
Previously, in December 2023, we had constructed a similar design but smaller 3-bay bridge across a small stream in Horley after contractors had removed the old bridge and laid new girders. We were therefore somewhat surprised to turn up this October to find this next bridge still in place and all the materials to build the replacement bridge on the Surrey County Council truck. Needless to say this wasn’t going to happen in one day!
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| Dismantling the original rotted footbridge | The finished but very muddy replacement footbridge |
Undaunted we agreed to tackle the replacement in sections. The existing woodwork was badly rotted with damaged tread boards covered by plywood sheets and handrail supports starting to break away, making the bridge unsafe. The bridge itself was constructed on top of a steel girder frame. We started stripping away all the wood on the first half of the bridge and replacing with recycled plastic alternatives and oak tread boards. Nearing the end of this first day, with just over an hour left before it would start getting dark, we had almost finished half the bridge when we took on the challenge to strip out and replace all of the remaining deck boards and their supporting nailing strips, meaning that on our next visit we would only need to replace the remaining three (of the original five) handrail support structures (transoms) and the last half bridge length worth of hand and guard rails. We managed this just in time for the long walk back to our cars as the sun was setting, whilst leaving the bridge in a safe condition for footpath users.
Our next task day (in November) was already scheduled to fit a kissing gate and pedestrian gate plus adjacent vegetation clearance on the Greensand Way near Redhill, and so we returned to finish the bridge with a smaller team in December. It still took most of the day to complete the task which involved ripping out the remaining wooden handrail support structures and hand/guard rails to replace again with recycled plastic alternatives. The new heavy handrail support structures had to be drilled and assembled using pre-cut materials. These were then lifted into position and fitted to the steel bridge girders; a task made more challenging as the securing bolt holes had to be drilled to millimetre precision to match existing holes in the girders. Conditions on the day were very muddy, and we twice helped push the Surrey County Council truck when it got stuck trying to leave the fields at the end of the day. The finished bridge would have benefited from a good wash down!
Martin Dunn - Footpath Volunteers Team Leader, Reigate Ramblers
"The Slippery Slope"
For the last three task days (in February, March and April) your volunteer footpath team has been working on the footpath that goes east from Netherne towards Happy Valley (Old Coulsdon). This footpath descends down a progressively steepening slope that becomes slippery when it rains. Our task has been to install a handrail beside the footpath to help walkers and to clear obstructing vegetation.
When we started the task in February it was so slippery that we were struggling to stay upright. Fortunately each subsequent visit was drier than the one before and we finally completed the task on our third visit. The going was also tough due to copious amounts of flint, tree roots and a layer of chalk we had to dig through for every upright support post we installed .... and there were a lot of posts!! My thanks to all our volunteers and to our Surrey County Council Countryside Access officer for achieving this.
The following photos show most but not all of the installed handrail plus some of the vegetation clearance work. If you would like to get involved with future tasks please contact me via the clubs WhatsApp or via the club secretary.
Martin Dunn - Footpath Volunteer Team Leader
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| Handrail looking up ... | ... and down from same spot. | Vegetation clearance in progress |
Norfolk Holiday - 29 September - 3 October 2024
With over 30 people already going, we still have a few places left on this holiday when we will have a variety of led walks each day in the beautiful and very different Norfolk coast and countryside. Please contact Sandra on 07796 838319 if you would like to come.
January Footpath Maintenance Catch-up
The weather caused problems for both Reigate's and East Surrey Walkers' (whom I also volunteer with) planned footpath maintenance tasks in January. The Reigate task was to install handrails on a steep footpath going east from Netherne but this was postponed due to the forecast -6 degrees C overnight temperature making the ground too hard to dig and the possibility of icy conditions on the steep slope. Nevertheless I was able to field an alternative vegetation task off Shepherds Hill in Merstham where 5 of us cut back bushes encroaching onto a footpath from the motorway side. East Surrey's task in Lingfiled the following week was postponed due to strong winds with the risk of falling branches. Both of these planned January tasks have been postponed to February.
If you interested in helping on our monthly task days, which are on the third Thursday of each month, please contact me.
Martin Dunn
Our December 2023 Footpath Volunteer Task Day - Bridging the Gap
On the 21st December 2023, Reigate Ramblers footpath volunteers and friends pioneered the first ever Surrey County Coucil volunteer build of a complex three-bay footpath bridge. The success of this project opens up the possibility of future complex footpath bridge builds across Surrey using other volunteer groups. With a good turn out of volunteers to this event, the team also undertook vegetation clearance work on the adjoining footpath and replaced all of the rotten 2.1 metre tread boards on a nearby bridleway bridge. The build project saved the Council approximately £4,000 compared to purchasing a contractor supplied and installed bridge, and these cost savings will in turn facilitate further improvements to the footpath network.
Previously Surrey volunteer groups had installed a number of single span railway sleeper bridges and we as a group had also replaced a shorter single bay bridge/boardwalk near Lonesome Lane ... a bay being defined as the length of bridge between the upright posts supporting the hand rail.
This lastest construction spanned a 3.8 metre gap across a stream near Thunderfield Castle/Haroldslea Drive, Horley using a three bay bridge designed by one of the Surrey Council Countryside Access Team. With this multi-bay bridge the upright handrail posts are not sunk into the ground but instead are bolted to a transom (a bar that extends across the width of the bridge at the same height as the treads) and then braced using a diagonal support known as a "raker". This design complicates the bridge construction, with all the drilling and bolting together being done on site. The old delapidated bridge had been removed by contractors the day before, who also placed the three main support beams onto which the footbridge was then constructed.
Despite being the shortest day of the year all the task were completed in good time in daylight, thanks to the valiant efforts of everyone involved.
I created a time lapse video of this bridge build which can be viewed on YouTube using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMQcZuYTEKo
The following photos shows the replaced treads on the bridleway bridge and the three-bay footbridge nearing completion.
Well done Team !!!
Martin Dunn
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Our November 2023 Footpath Volunteer Task Day - re-opening the (wet) Millenium Way
Eight of us braved the rain on Thursday 16th November to complete our clearance work on a previously blocked and overgrown section of the Millenium Way south of Horley, where it joins the Sussex Border Path. The persistent rain prevented us from using Surrey County Council's battery powered brushcutters and hedge trimmers, meaning that our volunteers had to resort to using hand tools for most of this work.
There was a particularly challenging section where walkers would have had to squeeze through a narrow passage created by thick thorn bushes on each side. To further
test our resolve, some sections of the footpath were either underwater or swampy!
I had also attended on the previous Monday with our Surrey County Council officer whilst he chainsawed through four fallen trees that were obstructing the path,
as he was unable to attend on our task day this month.
The following photos give some indication of the state of the path before starting this work ....
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.... and the finished result.
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Our October 2023 Footpath Volunteer Task Day - "Breaking through"
As expected we were back at the same starting location as September, this time to make a start on clearing the blocked path which heads NNE from this section of the Sussex Border Path. We were six in total including a stand-in officer from Surrey County Council. Two of us headed up to the north end of the path while the remainder started at the south end, planning to meet somewhere in the middle. Our first priority for the day was to make a narrow path to create an end to end link, so that we could then spread out to widen the full length of the path. The path was badly overgrown with long grass, bramble, bushes and tree fall. We managed to create this narrow link by lunch time although this still meant climbing over and under some fallen trees we discovered further along the path. After lunch we worked on widening the path from the south before packing up for the day. Fortunately we evaded the forecast heavy rain with thunderstorms, instead experiencing some short showers interspersed with sunshine (and no wasps this time !!!).
We expect to go back again in November to finish widening this path, this time with the assistance of our regular Surrey Country Council officer with his chainsaw to remove the tree fall. There is still more work to do in this same area at a later date and we would welcome more volunteer help.
Martin Dunn
Our September 2023 Footpath Volunteer Task Day with a "Sting in the Tail"
Our task day this September saw us return to a section of the Sussex Border Path located to the south of Horley, going east from the Balcombe Road. The team had last been here in April and May 2022 and it was surprising how much growth had returned since our last cut. Although we worked hard, we were low in number and only managed about a third of the clearance needed. We will need to return at least two more times to finish clearing this section of the Sussex Border path and two adjoining paths from the north, one of which is currently impassable. We also have footbridge replacement work, stile step repairs, and other maintenance work to do in this area.
The two photos below show work in progress and the end result, looking back towards the start of the path.
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In attendance, we only had a three volunteers from Reigate Ramblers (including myself), plus two Surrey County Council volunteers, and the Surrey County Council volunteer manager. It really would be great to have more Reigate Ramblers members supporting what we do. Our task day is the third Thursday of the month and most of our clearance work simply involves using shears or loppers and tidying up cuttings.
So you may be wondering why the title mentions a "Sting in the Tail" ? ... Towards the end of the day I was using the petrol brushcutter to trim across the width of the path when I was attacked by a swarm of wasps. I immediately stopped, put down the brushcutter, took off my coat and spent the next few minutes brushing away the wasps which were stinging me through my trousers, shirt, and gloves as well as working their way into my clothing ... including into my shirt collar and my underpants! Having finally shaken them off and suffering a number of stings I moved a distance away from the attack location and waited a while before kittng up again and restarting the brushcutter. Only moments later they attacked a second time, adding insult to injury. So the "Sting in the Tail" relates to three stings to my derriere plus a number elsewhere, totalling around 15-20 stings! The wasps didn't attack any one else working nearby and it seems they took a dislike to the sound of the petrol brushcutter. Next time I will either use the quieter electric brushcutter or just hand tools in the vicinty of the wasp attack!!
Martin Dunn
Reigate Ramblers have donated a Kissing Gate
The committee have funded the purchase of a kissing gate from the group's current year budget. Identifying a site for our gate can be challenging as it has to replace a stile at the end of its life, it ideally will add to a series of existing kissing gates on a particular route, and lastly the landowner has to agree to the installation, the gates upkeep and eventual future replacement. A kissing gate currently costs around £500 or more depending on the size of the corral. I have recently visted thirteen sites with reported stile issues and identified a number of these as possible locations for our gate, along with a suggested order of priority, so that Surrey Couty Council can follow these up with the landowners.
Martin Dunn
A New Tool for Surrey Ramblers Footpath Secretaries
Surrey County Council use a system known to users as CAMS (Countryside Access Management System) to record problems on footpaths which can then be assigned to their own staff, contractors or volunteers to deal with. There are currently hundreds if not thousands of historic incident reports on CAMS which may have been actioned but never properly closed off on the system which then hinders their ability to deal with actual problems.
To help resolve this, nominated willing Surrey Ramblers Footpath Secretaries will be assigned "tasks" by Surrey County Council asking them to check the status of identified incidents and then report back, all using the CAMS web based system. I have been helping to pilot this system which will be rolled out to other users soon. I was given seven tasks all concerning reports of fallen trees in Reigate and Banstead. Following my visits, I was able to report back that only one fallen tree was still an issue as the others had been cleared.
Working together with Surrey County Council, the Ramblers Footpath Secretaries will be helping to improve the accuracy and timeliness of incident reports and follow up actions.
You too can use CAMS to report and or track footpath faults on-line, using the link https://rightsofway.surreycc.gov.uk/StandardMap.aspx and setting up a user account. Alternatively please send details of the issue, its exact location and a photo if possible to
Martin Dunn
Reigate Ramblers Task Group Activity August 2023
The Graham Butler Mile on the Vanguard Way
The August task day saw a number of the Reigate footpath volunteers help install two kissing gates with medium sized corrals in Woldingham. We attended with other volunteers on the final day of a longer three day project to install a total of six gates along a section of the Vanguard Way.
On the previous days other volunteers from across Surrey had installed four of the gates whilst encountering difficult conditions. The final day was no different, with our two gate teams encountering chalk, flint, tree roots and concrete at the two gate sites. Another long tiring day but the results were well worth it and this section of the route now passable without using stiles.
The Vanguard Way is a 66.2 mile, long distance walk that goes from East Croydon train station to Newhaven, East Sussex. The section of the route we helped improve runs through Warren Barn Farm in Woldingham. The gates were funded by the Vanguard Way association in memory of Graham Butler, who was a key researcher for the route. Graham contributed greatly to the Ramblers, at one time area secretary and also worked for Surrey as an access officer. Graham passed away in 2019 and the Vanguard Way association decided to designate the section we helped to work on on as the Graham Butler Mile.
Our task days are normally the third Thursday of each month. We always welcome offers of help and have a variety of tasks suited to all.
Martin Dunn
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Reigate Ramblers Task Group Activity July 2023 Resurrecting Salfords and Sidlow Footpath No. 555 On the Reigate Ramblers group footpath task day Thursday 20th July 2023, a group of 10 volunteers plus Surrey County Council’s Countryside Access Team Volunteer co-ordinator, resurrected Salfords and Sidlow Footpath No. 555 which I had previously reported as “lost”. This Public Right of Way runs through woodland to the southeast of Salfords Cricket Club ground on Petridgewood Common. It starts at its east end on the private lane to Petridgewood Farm (TQ 27836 47152 \\\harder.wisdom.cherry) and ends at its west end at the kissing gate 70 metres west south west of the cricket pitch (TQ 27577 47229 \\\open.minus.tribes). |
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We started work at the east end of the path where there is a wooden sleeper bridge across a drainage ditch next to the lane. This small bridge was so covered in vegetation that I had to convince the team it was there, but they quickly got to work to uncover the bridge to begin our path. A footpath finger post then points to an established path which needed vegetation and branches to be cut back. This path strangely ended in an area of bushes and long grass with no obvious follow-on route. Based on the definitive map we knew that this path had roughly followed the route of the Public Right of Way but branched right towards the cricket pitch instead of veering left.
Photo 1 (Right) Cutting back side and top vegetation on the section of existing path at its the east end |
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The fun now began, cutting into the side vegetation to find the start of an obstructed off-shoot path which appeared to be heading in the correct direction. From here on it was a case of working out where the path originally went and cutting away saplings, bushes, and branches to open the way to a small clearing roughly halfway along the route.
Photo 2 (Left) The small clearing found after cutting a path through saplings, bushes and branches from the east. After brushcutting there is now a clear path running through this area. |
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A few of us broke away to visit the west end of the path where the original footpath finger post was missing and there was no obvious route for the path. We identified an opening which could have been the start of the path but this ended in a wall of bushes and tree growth. Kneeling at ground level we looked for gaps between the bases of trees and bushes for a possible route, which we then cut and picked our way through.
Photo 3 (Right) Opening up the wall of bushes and tree growth. |
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Eventually we arrived at a clearing, which we believed was near to where the rest of the team were working. A few loud shouts resulted in the appearance of a familiar hi-vis vested volunteer from the main group (a “Dr Livingstone I presume” moment). We had established the route through, so it was now a case of opening up the path and improving sight lines. This was done with the usual bow saws, loppers, shears, a powered brushcutter, and hedge trimmer but also required our properly licensed Surrey County Council co-ordinator working with his chainsaw to remove obstructing saplings, branches and bushes.
Photo 4 (Left) Clearing away tools preparing for a final brushcut. |
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Having re-cut the path and tidied away all the cuttings, we finished by installing a new footpath fingerpost at the west end of the path near the kissing gate and also installing a waymarker post where we had veered away from the established path on the eastern section of the route. Photo 5 (Right) The new footpath fingerpost at the west end of the route pointing to the re-opened Public Right Of Way. |
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| *** Please also read the following article which gives a photo walkthrough for this re-opened footpath *** | ||
Walking our restored Salfords and Sidlow Footpath No.555
Following on from my previous article detailing the work of our task group, the next day I decided to take my dog Sammy along our newly restored Public Right of Way (PRoW) to do a Photo walkthrough from east to west.
As previously stated, this previously totally overgrown and lost Public Right of Way runs through woodland to the southeast of Salfords Cricket Club ground on Petridgewood Common. It starts at its east end on the private lane to Petridgewood Farm (TQ 27836 47152 \\\harder.wisdom.cherry) and ends at its west end at the kissing gate 70 metres west south west of the cricket pitch (TQ 27577 47229 \\\open.minus.tribes).
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1. The path starts on the private lane across the now visible sleeper bridge. The finger post and newly cleared footpath visible beyond. |
2. Following this path you will come across our newly installed waymarker post which shows the re-opened PRoW veering off to the left. The pre-existing path to the right leads to an area of long grass and bushes with no obvious route through. |
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3. After a short distance the newly cleared path veers right taking you through woodland. |
4. You then reach the small clearing that marks the centre of this route and our new brushcut path. |
5. This then re-enters woodland where you will notice an abandoned green tent which we diverted around. |
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6. Following our cleared path through the wood it veers left |
7. … then right … |
8. before you see the end of the path and our new footpath finger post in the far distance. |
Martin Dunn
Reigate Ramblers Footpath Task Leader
Reigate Ramblers Task Group Activity June 2023
The group's footpath task team were busy all day on Thursday 15th June in the seering heat whilst working near Lonesome Lane. We managed to complete an unusually tough vegetation clearance that even the powered brushcutter struggled with as well as building a replacement section of rotted sleeper bridge/boardwalk which leads on to the Reigate Ramblers commemorative John Webb gate.
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New Bridge Section with John Webb gate beyond
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Cleared Path leading East from the Bridge
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Reigate Ramblers Task Group Activity May 2023
Martin Dunn writes "Your Volunteer footpath task team needs more helpers ... please! Embarrassingly I was the only Reigate Ramblers member at yesterday's Reigate group's taskday. It was me, 2 Surrey non-rambler volunteers (one only for half a day), Barbara from ESW and our Surrey County Council person. Despite this we managed to complete all the assigned tasks plus an extra task that we were not expecting. The planned tasks yesterday were to recover 2 redundant metal kissing gates for use elsewhere (they cost about £500 each), erect 2 finger posts, 1 way marker post, and dismantle a redundant wooden stile. The redundancy was due to the fact that the fields in Westvale are now open access and no longer used for farming. The gates and stile have long been diverted around.
The unexpected task was a path that heads due south from Westvale which had become overgrown with Cow Parsley for much of its length. We noticed this and decided to clear it whilst we were there, which then became the biggest task of the day. Amusingly we were just reaching the end when Adrian (also from Surrey County Council) turned up to inspect the path which had only just been reported as blocked!"
If you would like to help please email Martin Dunn
Before After
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Reigate Ramblers Task Group Activity 20th April 2023: Moat Farm & Westvale
Martin Dunn reports "We had a total of 6 people at our April task day to replace a broken stile with a kissing gate, erect a finger post, install two way-marker posts and to do vegetation clearance. This was on a section of the path which runs east from Moat Farm (aka Simons Egg’s), just south of the A217 Westvale Roundabout, onto the Westvale Estate.
We received a last minute “no digging notice” for the site of one of the way marker posts due to its proximity to a fuel line but managed to complete the rest of the tasks on the day. We will install the remaining post once we receive the required clearance.
The kissing gate turned out to be a major task for the three volunteers who opted to install this. The old stile was difficult to remove and each of the 4 new holes required had to be dug through bricks and rubble buried in the ground, whilst avoiding the foundations to the adjacent bridge across the River Mole. They then had to erect a length of fencing adjoining the gate with two new posts.
In the meantime, the remainder of the team installed the finger post and the permitted way-marker post and made a start on the vegetation clearance work. The finger post was again difficult due to the amount of rubble that was under the raised ground on which the estate has been built, this originally being a flood plain for the River Mole.
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The vegetation clearance work involved thinning out the tree canopy over the section of the path leading east from the bridge and then brush-cutting the verges on both sides of the next section of the path.
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We finally finished just after 4 pm and shortly before the rain started, having had a sunny but gusty day".
News from our Neighbouring Group - East Surrey Walkers
ESW are holding a Festival of Walking from April 22nd - April 30th. Their programme has lots of walks varied in distance and nature. Reigate Ramblers are invited to participate. See www.eastsurreywalkers.org.uk
Also there is now a twin/double room available for their HF based holiday to Bourton-on-the Water in May 2024.
If you are interested, please contact Keith Towers directly at
Footpath Maintenance Team News, February and March
Martin Dunn writes "Your footpath maintenance team have been doing more footpath clearance work on their task days in February and March. February saw us starting work on FP620 in Woodmansterne, with a 400m section hemmed in with mature thorn bushes over most of its length. This was a particularly difficult task requiring the removal of lots of bordering thorn bushes at ground level and then putting them into piles out of the way. We spent 1.5 days on this task starting on the February task day and finishing by 1pm on the March task day. Most of the team then bravely opted to move onto FP51 in Chipstead to cut back vegetation which was likely to overtake the path with new spring growth. We also cut back vegetation that had almost totally hidden the footpath signpost against a fence and then repositioned the sign to the other side of the path to make it more visible.
5 photos will now follow, the first 2 will be before and after shots of a small section of FP620, the next 2 will be before and after shots of FP51, and the last shows the repositioned signpost (note that the stile in this photo is not a public right of way)". Note: Sammy, the dog was not there when the team were doing the work.
News on events
For your diary, the new date for the Surrey Area's Summer Tea at Brockham is Sunday 30th July. Reigate Ramblers will be offering a walk that day to pause at Brockham in the afternoon so that we can enjoy the tea!
Our own event to celebrate the coronation is as follows. We will be having tea, cake and sandwiches on Friday 5 May from 3 pm at the Horley Tennis Club.
With a “Royal” theme and hopefully coronation chicken sandwiches amongst the goodies it will be a lovely chance to meet up and socialise without our boots and waterproofs!
Booking essential at a cost of £8 per person; members and partners welcome as always. Please contract
Donations of sandwiches and cakes will be very welcome on the day!
Autumn Holiday News
Reigate Ramblers 4 day Autumn break in Bradford upon Avon is filling up fast. Just a few spaces remaining. Email
February 2023 - call for volunteers for footpath maintenance.
Your volunteer footpath task group needs YOU. We meet at 9:30am for a few hours every third Thursday of the month to take on tasks agreed with Surrey County Council. You do not need previous experience, just to like working outdoors with like minded people to help keep our footpaths open and in good order. Most tasks involve an element of cutting back vegetation and tidying, whilst for those willing we also install/repair signage, stiles, gates, and steps. If you would like to help please email Martin Dunn
February 2023 - a call for new leaders
Your committee is starting a new initiative to encourage those who have walked with us in the last 12 months to become leaders. Many of you will have received an invitation, reproduced below.
"We are sending this out to those who are not currently leaders in Reigate Ramblers but have walked with us for the last 12 months.
As you will realise, the walks we provide each week are dependent on the group of people who lead them. That leader group is always in need of replenishing, both to keep up the number of people available and to bring in fresh ideas and new places to walk.
As existing leaders will tell you, leading a walk from time to time is not especially onerous and is a satisfying and engaging part of the walking experience. We want everyone who has been walking with the Ramblers for more than 12 months to consider how they can contribute.
No-one has to venture into leading alone. We have resources to support you, and in any case many of our leaders prefer to work in two (or more) person teams sharing the leadership responsibilities. Leading a walk alongside an experienced leader is often a good way of getting started.
This Spring we will be starting a training initiative. Depending on your experience, this could involve:
- A brief introductory chat explaining the process;
- An excellent Ramblers e-learning course lasting about 45 minutes, which you can do at home at your own pace;
- A short discussion, normally via Zoom, with one or more experienced leaders about walking practicalities (like car parks and breaks) with a chance to ask any questions;
- Joining an experienced leader trying out a walk and then helping to run it. You could organise this informally if you wish.
Obviously, if you are already an experienced leader, we can dispense with some or all of this!
For others, the initial objective will be to get as many people as possible trained in the basics of walk leadership. You can then move on to the next step of leading or co-leading your first walk with Reigate Ramblers whenever you are ready. As with everything else we do, the intention will be to make everything as straightforward and easy as possible.
We will be providing further details (including a start date) in due course. In the meantime, could you use the link below to let us know, without commitment, whether you would potentially be interested in leading walks .
https://forms.gle/RG2fgax9qB5hpEq99
If you prefer, you can simply contact Richard Sharp (
We do hope you can help keep Reigate Ramblers vibrant and attractive to all members and visitors. In the process we think you will come to enjoy leading walks as much as our current leaders do."'