A snappy title. I prefer to call myself “volunteer footpath warden”. What does it mean? Visiting Kent’s public rights of way: byways, bridleways and footpaths. Reporting faults: e.g. damaged stiles, obstructions, fallen trees, locked gates. Fitting waymarkers. Light pruning.
Back in 2011 Kent were recruiting CAWs. I attended a training course at Wye Village Hall. A valuable part was walking local paths and relating them to maps.
We were issued with footpath maps and a rucksack full of equipment. Much better maps were available later. Waymarkers (coloured arrows) and endplates for path numbers. Self adhesive endmarkers. Hammer and nails. UV resistant pens for path numbers. A tool for removing damaged or wrong waymarkers. I found this difficult to use, and take a cold chisel and pincers. Loppers. A big spanner for adjusting metal kissing gates. WD40 to lubricate gates. Secateurs and loppers. Loppers are cumbersome to carry, especially on buses. I take a folding pruning saw. Safety equipment: hiviz jacket, goggles, gloves, first aid kit. Compass, notebook and pencils.
I find it easier to carry all this in a bag with handles: more accessible than a rucksack though more awkward to carry.
I also take Ordnance Survey maps, water, an apple, mobile phone, camera, and a GPS, present from my eldest son.
I was surprised we were not given specific areas to cover. Possibly some parts of Kent are never visited by wardens. I began in Canterbury, doing a grid square or two at a time, so as to miss out no paths, Spiralling outwards. This has taken me to the coast between Seasalter and Reculver, to Boughton-under-Blean to the west, St Nicholas-at-Wade to the east, and Barham to the south. Much of it has been pleasurable.
I like to think the work benefits KCC and the public. It benefits me by taking me into Kent’s varied countryside. I have done a lot of walking and like to find paths walkable and properly marked. It’s good to feel i contribute to this.
Rambling Brummie 