Footpath across Chesham Road Playing Fields

As some of you will know, about a year ago Berkhamsted School closed the accessway which ran from the stile in Upper Ashlyns Road across the playing field to the public footpath (which runs from Butts Meadow to Kingshill Road Cemetery) and on to the gate opposite Ashlyns School.

This accessway has been used for decades by pupils at Ashlyns School and also by residents of Ashlyns Road and Upper Ashlyns Road to get to the town centre and back.

An enterprising pupil started an online campaign and an application was prepared and lodged at the County Council to establish this accessway as a recognised public footpath. Unfortunately the County Council determined that the evidence supplied was insufficient for them to create an amendment to the footpath map. An appeal has now been lodged against this decision.

Berkhamsted Citizens are asking for assistance from anyone who has used this stile and accessway, or has direct knowledge of it being used, to come forward and give a statement in support of the appeal. If you can assist, please email Footpath Officer Ben Barth at berkhamstedcitizensevents@gmail.com.

The evidence must show that the accessway has been used by the public continuously for over 20 years to satisfy the legal requirements. So the more users and the longer it has been used the better.

Image shows an extract of the 2007 edition of the Footpaths Map showing the relevant path.