Footpaths & Groups

Update – report a path issue using FixMyStreet.

https://gloucestershireramblers.org.uk/fixmystreet/

The County of Gloucestershire has some of the most beautiful scenery in Britain. It includes a large part of the famous Cotswolds AONB and is blessed with a wide network of public footpaths and bridleways. The Highways Authority responsible for their upkeep is Gloucestershire County Council who a few years ago completed a ground breaking survey of the entire Rights of Way network in which every sign, stile, gate, bridge or other aspect of each path has been digitally recorded.

Gloucestershire Ramblers works closely with the County Council Public Rights of Way Office to ensure that the network of paths is well maintained and that any issues such as obstructions, overgrowth, ploughing up of paths or lanes, damaged stiles, missing signs etc are reported and monitored.

Footpaths in Gloucestershire are organised between six ramblers Groups based on Parish boundaries.
Click here to find a list of Parishes

Groups respond to obstructions and diversions in consultation with Gloucestershire County Council, the local authority responsible for Public Rights of Way. The Council has a number of ways of dealing with issues including coming back to us.
The colours shown on the map represent the Authorities responsible for Town and Country Planning
Forest of Dean District (Sage Green), Stroud District (Cornflower blue) , Gloucester City (Rose), Tewkesbury Borough (Salmon), Cheltenham Borough (Indigo), and Cotswold District (Lemon).

Reporting an Issue

If you’ve encountered a problem during a walk that needs reporting  it helps to log it twice

• as a member of public at Gloucestershire County Council Public Rights of Way www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/prow
• and also via Ramblers main website using a form to Report a Path

Alternatively, issues can be reported locally to our own footpaths@gloucestershireramblers.org.uk  to refer on to the Group Footpath Secretary.

Map Location

Grid references are a good way of identifying the exact location of an issue but there are many different systems. Even Ordnance Survey has two, one used by Local Authorities the other on its maps.

The website www.streetmap.co.uk can give various co-ordinates systems for a location.
As an example   click here for Winchcombe Tourist Information .
Click ‘Convert co-ordinates’ at the page bottom to give

OS  X(Eastings), Y(Northings) 402523, 228351
Nearest Post Code             GL54 5LH
Lat Long (WGS84)              N51:57:13, W1:57:53 (or 51.953643,-1.964696)
LR (OS LandRanger maps)       SP025283

OS co-ordinates are used by Local Authorities
A post code can be useful for input to a satnav device but beware a postcode can refer to a large rural area!
Many smart phones can give a world wide grid reference (WGS84) .
The Landranger co-ordinates SP 025 283 can be read from an OS map by first checking the key at the bottom to discover which 2 character letter code (here SP) applies to the section of map. Then use the numbers along the bottom of the map (the across or X direction) to give 2 digits (02) and estimate a 3rd digit inbetween (5). Next look at the numbers at the left side of the map (the up or Y direction) and choose 2 digits (28) and estimate (3).

National and local contacts