29 Mar 2005 Common open for access

Public 'right to roam' on parts of Bransbury Common is confirmed - with restrictions to prevent disturbance to fish and fishing

Parts of the rich countryside of Bransbury Common have been made open for public access under the provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 - although restrictions are in place to prevent disturbance to fish and fishing.

Full details of the access permitted - and the restrictions which apply - can be found on the government web site www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk - under the section "Open Access" and "View Access Land Maps". Note that access is permitted to the large areas marked yellow on the map, and the restrictions apply only to the narrow strips marked red.

The open access areas are found in the southern part of the common, close to public rights of way (ROWs), notably ROW 12, the bridleway from Bransbury to Newton Stacey, which forms part of an enjoyable waterside walk.

The public are not permitted in the 'exclusion zone' on the Common, which extends from the edge of the river banks that are fished for a distance of 15 metres. Access is permitted to the main part of the site by the footbridge across the River Dever, located towards the southern point of the Common, at the western end of ROW 12, and just north of the northern end of ROW 8. Full details of the exclusion are on the Countryside Access web site.

The whole of Bransbury Common is a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is formed of two areas: the Common itself, and disused water meadows. The rich soil of the Common is of peat over gravel, the water meadows are on a heavier soil, and together the areas support a wide variety of flora - including what English Nature referred to as

a remarkable range of grassland and grass/sedge communities, probably unparalleled in southern England

Also running through the southern part of the Common is the course of the old roman road from Winchester (Venta) to Cirencester (Corinium), a main route in its time, but now barely noticeable.

Please remember to follow the Countryside Code wherever you go - you’ll get the best enjoyment possible and you’ll help to protect the countryside now and for future generations.

Date: Tuesday 29 Mar 2005

Website news from Andy Glenister of Barton Stacey, Hampshire.

Posted on 29 Mar 2005 at 03:50 pm