Bridge from pound hill to mill stream

Mon 29 Jul, 10:51

Thank you for considering the needs of the Canoe Club. The present temporary structure presents no problem at normal water levels and a "Monet" bridge would give even more clearance if based at Millfied-level. When the river is in flood we know that extra care is required.

A bridge at the bottom of Pound Hill would give an alternative access to the town centre from Watery Lane and increase access options. I am sure Charlbury could raise the necessary funds if a viable scheme was proposed.

Sat 27 Jul, 15:07

Do canoeists paddle looking forwards or backwards OR is that rowers who don't look where they are going. Maybe we should check with Monet. What would you put your 'money' on.

Sat 27 Jul, 10:55

The bridge design is fixed and the canoeists will have to duck. Seriously I put that image on there as I felt I was ridiculed for suggesting a Monet style bridge - maybe some people hadn't been there?

Fri 26 Jul, 22:36

The millstream is used by the Canoe Club, so a higher bridge than the one shown by Hans will be needed!

Fri 26 Jul, 17:30

Regarding parking, David, there is an ongoing discussion about how we resolve parking issues with County Council officers, and some plans are bring drawn up for consultation.

Fri 26 Jul, 11:33

Christine, thanks for the update, Gareth apologies and thanks you for your past service. Hans I too would be interested in joining a committee for seeing if is bridge is possible.

Thu 25 Jul, 18:13 (last edited on Thu 25 Jul, 18:14)

Gareth is obviously right that the bridge would probably have a fairly low priority with the limited resources available to CTC. I do like the idea of a committee/working group and would apply to join if someone set it up and fund raising would probably be the way to go. Yes, Pound Hill is not the best for walking and the permissive path could be improved. But I don't think that should rule out a simple bridge. The Cotswold wardens appear to repair simple wooden bridges across streams - maybe we could ask them for advice. Then it could be painted in a nice green colour. 

Thu 25 Jul, 17:55

David Cook - you are wrong.  When a town councillor, earlier this year, I chaired an open meeting that discussed parking, with around 30 members of the public present.  It set up a working group to bring forward proposals and speak to businesses and survey residents.

Perhaps you should establish the current position from the current Town Council?

Thu 25 Jul, 17:34

David, Gareth Epps is not on the Town Council -- even though he has been a Town Councillor in the past. Nor is he a Councillor on WODC. 

Gareth stood as a Lib Dem candidate for Stonesfield and Tackley in the recent WODC elections (May 2024), but wasn't successful (narrowly defeated by The Greens).

If you want to explore options for a Pound Hill bridge, it would be better to contact one of the Town Councillors direct. Their page is here: https://charlbury-tc.gov.uk/committees/

Thu 25 Jul, 16:57

I think the idea of a bridge is worth exploring and should not be dismissed out of hand. Gareth remember you were elected to serve the residents of Charlbury, we do not serve you. Interesting your priorities do not mention resolving the ongoing parking issues in Charlbury. Surely it would be worth putting together a committee to explore the pros and cons and if the outcome is positive we can look to raise the funds. I speak as someone who's mother together with several residence of Charlbury now sadly passed was party to campaigning and raising funds to build the current tennis courts and pavilion Charlbury enjoys today.

Thu 25 Jul, 16:34 (last edited on Thu 25 Jul, 17:54)

One additional worry is that such a bridge would give very easy access to the Millfield for fly-tippers. The implications of that are horrendous.

Thu 25 Jul, 12:54

You’d struggle to get a buggy down the footpath off Pound Hill, even if its condition has been transformed into something usable in all weathers.

Riverside would still need wider access to the Mill Field.  Then the bridge would have to be made secure enough to prevent unauthorised access.  The likelihood of a timber, Monet-style bridge being fit for purpose is somewhat fanciful.

I can see people who say it would be nice, but is it more of a priority than providing play equipment on Nine Acres, making our roads safer and our pavements fit for purpose?  No.

Thu 25 Jul, 11:25

Many footpaths have simple treated timber bridges of similar lengths - there's one on the footpath from pound hill towards Dean.

Thu 25 Jul, 11:15 (last edited on Thu 25 Jul, 11:19)

And of course a bridge would enable people to do a round trip without walking along Pound Hill at all - Mill Lane is only just wide enough for a medium sized vehicle but can take 2 way pedestrian traffic!  I quite accept there are more pressing issues but maybe grants etc available somewhere?  Perhaps a contribution if the glampers get their permission?

Oh and just in case, my previous reference to 'Gary' was not to our esteemed Chair of the Town Council...

Thu 25 Jul, 10:40

Gareth, I don't know when you last walked the permissive Pound Hill path, but  improvements have been made this year by Cotswold Voluntary Wardens which we hope will make the path usable all year round. We are all in favour of a new bridge by the way, which would help us maintain other nearby footpaths as well.

Thu 25 Jul, 08:36

Yes, I’m sure it would be nice to have for some.  And I can see how some might want the Evenlode transformed into a Monet painting.  But……

But who would pay for a bridge and the improvements to pedestrian access (try walking up Pound Hill when the footpath is impassable, as it often is) that would also be necessary?  You are talking more than the money the Town Council raises through the annual precept, and there are more pressing things to do.

Wed 24 Jul, 20:45

Supported 110% (Gary).  Which will be no surprise to anyone who knows where I live.  A gated bridge capable of carrying vehicles would make so much more sense than all the traffic up and down Mill Lane when Riverside is held, not to mention maintenance etc.  It is hardly a wide span though a Monet style might be a little impractical....  As ever, I suspect how to pay for it would be the real issue.

Wed 24 Jul, 19:13

The walk with toddlers and an "off-road" 3-wheel Childs buggy up the UNPAVEMENTED Pound Hill is horrible! So the utterly logical circular walk from the Dyers Hill entrance, down to the Weir bridge and back up Water Lane was something we were very frustrated about having to do.

The accessibility and amenity value of a footbridge back onto Millfield from Water Lane is utterly obvious and also utterly incomprehensible that, after over 20 years and raising a family here  nothing has been done and it's totally frustrating.

Issues like dog control with things such as access for wheelchair and off-road capable child buggies with appropriately designed gates, like kissing gates with the length to get through, must be crashingly obvious and trivial to install.

Why has it never been done yet?

Wed 24 Jul, 18:22

But one can have a gate at the bridge end to prevent dogs running off. So hardly an objection surely. 

Wed 24 Jul, 13:53

I'm all for it. A bridge like the one at monet's giverny would look great.

Wed 24 Jul, 12:33

This has been suggested before, but opposed by some. Last time I recall somebody objected that their dogs might run out into the road.

Tue 23 Jul, 20:19

The temporary bridge that’s put up for people to access the Millstream from Pound Hill/the Riverside festival car park is just so useful. Could we not have a permanent bridge there? Could be an attractive wooden bridge for example. Perhaps something for the town council to consider? I’m sure a fundraiser or a donor might be interested in such an addition to our local amenities.