Cox's Walk Kissing Gate

[AllisonAdler]

Seems to have been sabotaged--it's been shut with black plastic closure bands. Presumably not official as there are no signs anywhere about it. Also not clever, as everyone, being surprised when they got there, had to climb over it, massively increasing contact. I've sent messages to the Sydenham Hill Woods LWT people and to Southwark.

[FineWhine]

Least it'll stop the kissing

[malumbu]

There was lots of signage saying that part of the route is shut, longish term. Not sure what has happened to the signs.

But on the positive glad that I am not the only one who calls this a kissing gate, although I've been pretty unsuccessful over the years.....

[AllisonAdler]

Haha, and it's not the footbridge, which indeed has lots of signage, but the gate between the upper and lower parts of the walk.

[KidKruger]

The lower part of the walk is opposite the old Harvester pub right, so you?re not talking about that (entrance to lower end of Cox?s walk) ?

[gavster]

Not surprised it's been blocked off. Yesterday (Friday), they were quite a few people cycling up and down Cox's Walk. The whole point of the gates (by the Harvester and up by the bridge) is to stop people taking bikes into the woods, although most I saw were struggling to get their bikes through the gate. Cycling is not allowed in the woods - it's not a fecking Velodrome.

Shame the action of a few idiots has spoiled it for everybody else, the woods are a great place for kids to let off steam.

[AllisonAdler]

It's not the pub side, it's the bit that connects the London Road/Dulwich Common part of the Walk to the Sydenham Hill part, just above the footbridge. And it's very obviously not an official closure!!

[seenbeen]

Cycling is very damaging to tree roots on slopes. This whole sorry situation is really flagging up the ignorance and selfishness of some people

[malumbu]

You must have some camera traps out, like they do in the Himalayas where they are looking for snow leopards. I don't think I've ever seen cyclists in the woods.

[gavster]

No need for snow leopard cameras! On Friday alone, during a 15-minute walk to my allotment, I saw:

- a family of three (mum, dad, 7 or 8 year old) on bikes, dismounting at the railway bridge, struggling to get their bikes through the gate, then getting back on them and tootling off into the woods.

- a guy on an electic scooter whizzing up Cox's Walk.

- three teenages lads, struggling to get their racer bikes through the gate.

- a guy speeding past me down Cox's Walk hill at a pretty hefty speed, not keeping his distance from any of the walkers.

I walk in the woods most days and rarely encounter more than two or three dog-walkers, maybe the occasional commuter cyclist who's trying to avoid Sydenham Hill. This is an entirely lockdown-induced phenomenon.

The woods are ancient woodlands, part of South London's Great North Wood. It wasn't so long ago that the public weren't allowed into the woods and much of the upkeep of the woods is down by volunteers.

[alice]

Other than 3 teenagers what in earth are you complaining about.

[FineWhine]

alice Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Other than 3 teenagers what in earth are you

> complaining about.

Because people love to complain on this forum alas...

[gavster]

I'm not complaining for the sake of it, just asking people to moderate their behaviour. It's the only way to we'll get through this bloody thing. What's wrong with that?

[AllisonAdler]

Anyway, some kind soul clipped the closures (thank you!), so all sorted, and glad I didn't have to be the one to do it!

[Bic Basher]

On the news tonight.

[malumbu]

What's on the news tonight? Would you like to say more?

We had a nice walk in Sydenham Hill Woods two weeks ago, but there were too many people there. Haven't you got your own woods to go to? Where were you before Covid? And most annoyingly there were no people on bikes. In deed, good to have a good moan.

[legalalien]

People on video: "We just keep saying to [southwark council] 'please talk to us'".... Sound familiar?

Wasn't aware of this campaign, there's more info here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-cox-s-walk-footbridge-oak-trees. Looks like the council was due to fell the trees last week but there is a sit in going on? https://m.facebook.com/SaveOaks/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0

Malumbu not quite sure who you are having a go at or why?

[womanofdulwich]

Yes, we spoke with 2 activists today. I think covid and proximity of them meant contractors just turned round and left.

I don't understand exactly, but if they take trees away from the embankment, then surely it will become unstable and slip away.?

[legalalien]

Popped past today... Some more info here. https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/18892275.campaigners-camp-stop-southwark-felling-oak-trees/. Seems Southwark are seeking a high court injunction to enable police to remove the campaigners so that felling work can go ahead.... I was told that the current felling order expires in early December so the council is keen to fell the trees before then.

Incidentally, on the original subject of this thread, I saw three separate sets of cyclists riding / struggling through and cursing at the kissing gate in the brief period I was there and there are a number of mountain bike track marks through the woods. I don't think cycling is permitted?

[malumbu]

Oh it was a facetious comment on the increased use of the woods during lockdown - you know the "where were you in pre-lockdown days'. Nothing serious. Hopefully many will keep visiting parks and woods in the future. Far more bothered by people who drive to the area at 23.30 in NYE double parking and causing grid lock to stand on the various hills, then drive back to wherever at 00.30 on New Year's Day. It was nice when this area was less well known, well in some respects.

[womanofdulwich]

Was on Vanessa radio London this am, but very poor reporting by them, or at least Vanessa could not understand

[legalalien]

Nearly 6000 people have signed the petition now, and four days until the deadline for felling. It would be great if a compromise could be found.