MORE GATES, MORE MONEY AND LESS FREEDOM.
The gates at Bridge Wood started off 100m inside Bridge Wood 10 years ago.This is all that remains now. The gates were erected before the fence which itself now blocks a Foot Path across the field within the fence. It now belongs to Priory Park Ltd who are also blocking another Foot Path that runs through Alnesbourne Priory down to the river by Mansbrook. However that is for another day as one mustn't fight on too many fronts at the same time.
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A few thousand pounds later it became this. Note the red and blue waymarkers. Red means vehicles blue means horses and that means this is not only a Foot Path but also a Bridle Way and a Vehicle Way. It has been what is known as a BOAT since I can remember. A BOAT is a By Way Open to All Traffic which is why IBC was able to buy Bridge Wood cheaply as it has sitting tenants. You and me. Anyone can pass this way as the right to do so belongs to the Public and not to IBC even though they own the land.
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A few more thousand pounds of our money and we have this.
http://static.flickr.com/81/237065604_c53bfc95e3_b.jpg Note the wayleave marker has been removed. Now it is going to cost us a few more thousand pounds to get this unlawful contraption removed as it will probably end in court. Blocking Rights Of Way is a very serious matter. Ask any Rambler. It looks like this new gate will not take a horse nor a car and as the Foot Path is listed as being 6' wide it looks like the Parks Dept have thrown a wobbly again. Perhaps the whole of IBC is nuts. We have a car park at West End Road with two chaps and a van parked in the entrance all night to keep youngsters out and yet here at Bridge Wood there is a car park that is haunted by sexual deviants because there are no lights. Hint IBC, youngsters and sexual deviants do not mix so put in some lighting at Bridge Wood and encourage the youngsters to come to these car parks and not the West End Road one and kill two birds with one stone. The deviants will move on. Mind you youngsters will not be amused by the silly fences and gates anymore than I am but I act legally as has been proved by the fact that IBC could not prosecute me for what I done to the last gate at Bridge Wood. I sawed off the locking mechanism when I couldn't get through it.
peterturtill@hotmail.com
http://www.brazierbridgewood.blogspot.com/ Pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipswich/