Paul Presents West Berkshire Ramblers with Jonathan Sayers

This week on Paul Presents Paul chats with Jonathon Sayers about West Berkshire Rambler group – founded on March 2, 1967, at its inaugural meeting.

The group was originally known as The Newbury and District Group and changed its name to West Berkshire Ramblers in 1985. 

Nowadays they are one of nine groups based in Berkshire and their official territory for membership purposes is the west of the county up to approximately a line just east of Thatcham.

However, any Ramblers member can ask to be assigned to them wherever they live.

They kicked off in 1967 organising two walks per month but the programme has steadily evolved and they now average between four and five walks per week over the year as a whole.

Many of the walks are within their home territory but they often venture further afield, including by coach in the summer months and also arrange group holidays and social events.

They have held occasional ad hoc work parties almost from when they were formed and in 2003 their regular fortnightly Friday path inspection / maintenance work parties evolved from this.

They also have a group that turns out 12 or so times a year to install gates on paths in the area – this has been running since 2004.

As a Ramblers group they are of course also involved in actively campaigning on footpath and countryside matters and regularly respond to things like diversion proposals and planning applications that have the potential to impact the walking environment.

Other activities over the years have included the publication of a number of books of local walks and helping with the development of walking routes such as the Lambourn Valley Way.

The books page on their website has details of the walks books that are still in print and how to purchase copies.