Public Rights of Way

Footpaths - for pedestrians only
Bridleways - for horse & bicycles as well as ramblers
Byways - bridleways that may legally be used by motorised vehicles by anti-social people
Each parish has its own path numbers: so when a path crosses into a new parish it gets a new number

The Essex CountyCouncil Map-of-Public-Rights-of-Way gives extra information on each path but is a bit difficult to use.

Ther is alledged to be an ECC online report form when you find problems with a right of way - if I ever find it, I'll include a link.

The Harcamlow Way is the only long-distance footpath through the Saffron Walden area. It arrives from Newport and then links across the town centre before leaving via the Living Landscape for Ashdon. It is an excellent path of which the town should be proud. It has no "Harcamlow way" waymarks at all and there is nothing in the town to guide walkers through the town centre to where the path becomes a rural footpath again. This needs fixing.

Total length	Byways	3.3 km	Bridleways	10.8. km	Footpaths	29.2 km
Path No	Parish	Status	Length (m)	From	To	Problems
23	Ashdon	bridleway	574	Falloden Lane	Ashdon Street
34	Ashdon	bridleway	1470	Bowsers	Copt Hill
75	Ashdon	bridleway	1237	Old Rectory	Water End
92	Ashdon	bridleway	1217	Saffron House	Mortimers
1	Saffron Walden	bridleway	2423	S Walden	Butlers Farm
49	Saffron Walden	bridleway	1716	Little Walden	Butlers byway
53	Saffron Walden	bridleway	1044	Birds Farm Lane	Harcamlow Way
41	Sewards End	bridleway	747	Saffron House	Will Ayleys Lane
43	Sewards End	bridleway	378	Redgates Lane	Saffron House
33	Ashdon	byway	600	Bartlow	Ashdon Sewage	Michells “private road” sign
3	Saffron Walden	byway	1789	Butlers Farm	Mitchells
47	Saffron Walden	byway	865	Mitchells	Trig point
2	Ashdon	footpath	1368	Nunns Wood	Ashdon Street
3	Ashdon	footpath	408	Trig Point	Footpath 2
4	Ashdon	footpath	287	Footpath 2	Footpath 5
5	Ashdon	footpath	1251	Little Bowsers	Ashdon Street
8	Ashdon	footpath	608	Falloden Lane	Ashdon Street
10	Ashdon	footpath	755	Footpath 8	Footpath 11
11	Ashdon	footpath	529	Footpath 10
12	Ashdon	footpath	150	Footpath 10	Ashdon Road	only part in LL
13	Ashdon	footpath	361	Footpath 10	Rectory Lane
15	Ashdon	footpath	696	Rectory Lane	Newnham Hall Farm
16	Ashdon	footpath	456	Holden End	Newnham Hall Farm
17	Ashdon	footpath	179	Holden End	Bartlow Rd
20	Ashdon	footpath	441	Ashdon Road	Rectory Lane
21	Ashdon	footpath	416	beside Radwinter Rd
22	Ashdon	footpath	564	Falloden Lane	Ashdon Road
26	Ashdon	footpath	204	Radwinter Rd	Old Rectory
30	Ashdon	footpath	1007	Church End	Water End
31	Ashdon	footpath	504	Shadwell	Part Harcamlow Way	Harcamlow Way
32	Ashdon	footpath	465	Ashdon Boundary – Ashdon St	Part Harcamlow Way
35	Ashdon	footpath	785	Ashdon/Bartlow rd	Thickoe Plantation
40	Ashdon	footpath	2280	Bowsers	Ashdon/Hadstock rd
41	Ashdon	footpath	320	Copt Hill bridleway	Thickoe Plantation
76	Ashdon	footpath	811	Radwinter Rd	Water End
78	Ashdon	footpath	749	??	Radwinter Rd
79	Ashdon	footpath	505	Ashdon Farm	??
84	Ashdon	footpath	785	Ashdon Rd	near Little Hales
88	Ashdon	footpath	804	Water End	Ivy Todd
90	Ashdon	footpath	1403	Water End	\\\wills Ayley Lane
93	Ashdon	footpath	1108	Mortimers	Roman Rd
102	Ashdon	footpath	266	Holden End	Newnham Hall Farm
108	Ashdon	footpath	272	Radwinter Rd	Bridleway 75
111	Ashdon	footpath	439	Rectory Lane	Newnham Hall Farm
2	Saffron Walden	footpath	1500	Birds Farm Lane	Bridleway 49
4	Saffron Walden	footpath	853	Little Walden	Bridleway 49
30	Saffron Walden	footpath	475	Saddlers farm	Hadstock Rd
42	Saffron Walden	footpath	683	Butlers Fm – Ashdon boundary	Part Harcamlow Way	north end destroyed
44	Saffron Walden	footpath	555	Saddlers farm	footpath 4
74	Saffron Walden	footpath	534	Birds Farm drive	Footpath 2
21	Sewards End	footpath	378	Turnip Hall	Cole End Lane
22	Sewards End	footpath	1550	Turnip Hall	Sewards End
23	Sewards End	footpath	1488	Ashdon Rd	Redgates Lane

What needs doing?

Task	Who could do it?	Likely cost	Comments
Survey of each footpath for illegal signs & blockage. Report these to ECC who have a duty to act	Members of local rambling groups	nil
Survey each path for need of additional waymarks and/or correction of misleading one	Members of local rambling groups	nil
Supply and install improved waymarks	? Friends of Flitch Way? Local parish path partnerships?	don't know
The Harcamlow Way needs proper signs in and near the town and proper waymarks along its length.	Saffron Walden Town Council? Saffron Walden initiative?	don't know