Kate Ashbrook
@campaignerkate.bsky.social
Campaigner, loves walking, landscapes, birds, archaeology, wild country. Own views. General secretary Open Spaces Society, vice-president Ramblers, vice-chair Campaign for National Parks & Dartmoor Preservation Association, patron Walkers are Welcome towns
Interesting walk on the Sussex Border Path with the Radical Ramblers campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/07/31/f... @ramblersGB @openspacessociety.bsky.social Many path-problems reported.
Fleeing the flight path
It’s not often one starts a recreational walk with a tromp through Gatwick airport, but the Radical Ramblers can be unconventional. Ten of us gathered near the departures at Gatwick on 26 Jul…
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Thank you @marycreagh.bsky.social for your time as minister for nature, championing protected landscapes, nature, and access campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/07/25/t...
Thank you, Mary Creagh
I am sad that Mary Creagh has lost her post as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Nature, which she had held since Labour won the election in 2024. It had been good to see her hold office in…
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Lovely walk at Linford Lakes with @bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/07/16/l...
Lingering at Linford Lakes
Bucks Bird Club visited Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes, on 11 July. This reserve is by permit only so I was especially keen to visit. Eleven of us met by the old visitor centre with Mike Haberfield a…
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Glorious event to celebrate 50th anniv of Godalming & Haslemere Ramblers, with walks & of course tea campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/07/12/g... @ramblers.org.uk @openspacessociety.bsky.social
Golden Godalming
The Godalming and Haslemere Ramblers’ group (G&H Group) celebrated its fiftieth-anniversary on 27 June in true Ramblers’ style: a walk and a tea. I was pleased to join them, having …
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Annual nightjar-count at Barossa with Surrey Wildlife Trust @naturalengland.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/07/05/a...
At the top of Kings Ride
On 30 June I joined local volunteers at the top of Kings Ride, Camberley, for the annual nightjar count at Barossa nature reserve, organised by Surrey Wildlife Trust. This was later in the year tha…
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My tribute to Terry Robinson, formerly of the Countryside Commission, Countryside Agency & @naturalengland.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/07/03/t...
Terry Robinson, a commons man
I first met Terry Robinson, who died in January aged 77, in 1984 when he was the Countryside Commission’s representative on the Common Land Forum. I was there for the Open Spaces Society. Ter…
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Delighted to be on That'sTV Oxon talking about urgent need for govt to legislation for new access & developers to be mandated to provide new village greens in developments www.facebook.com/reel/1522869... @openspacessociety.bsky.social @ramblers.org.uk
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First leg of Thames Path relay from source to Ashton Keynes campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/06/12/a... @thamespathnt.bsky.social
At the source of the Thames
There was no sign of water when we met at the source of the River Thames, near Kemble in Gloucestershire, on 5 June. The gathering was to start of the 24-day relay along the Thames Path National Tr…
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👏👏 The Thames Path 30th anniversary Relay featured in tonight's BBC South Today news, from 14.45 www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... and on the Oxfordshire local news page www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
South Today - Evening News: 08/06/2026
The latest news, sport and weather for the South of England.
bbc.co.uk
Celebrating 50 years of the Two Moors Way campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/06/07/f... @dartmoorjohn.bsky.social @exmoornp.bsky.social @dpadartmoor.bsky.social
Fifty years of the Two Moors Way
It made me feel rather old. There were only two of us at the Two Moors Way (TMW) fiftieth anniversary celebration who were at the launch on 29 May 1976. But, as I assured the audience, I was young …
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It was lovely to be at the start of the relay, and I look forward to joining again on 25 June when we pass the bench in honour of David Sharp, who invented the national trail and worked so hard on it.
Thames Path National Trail @thamespathnt.bsky.social · 2mo agoKate Ashbrook, who represented The Ramblers at the opening of the National Trail in 1996, is shown with the Relay baton and Peter Finch from the River Thames Society. Both organisation were fundamental to the creation of the Thames Path National Trail. 2/3 @campaignerkate.bsky.social
Happy 90th birthday @campaign4parks.bsky.social defending the parks for all to enjoy @roseoneill.bsky.social @andrewmccloy.bsky.social @openspacessociety.bsky.social @ramblers.org.uk @cprecountryside.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/26/n...
Ninety years of leading the national park movement
Ninety years ago today, 26 May 1936, the Standing Committee on National Parks held its first meeting, at 4 Hobart Place in London. This was before there were any national parks in the UK; they were…
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Fab walk with @bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social on Greenham Common @bbowt.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/25/g...
Greenham in the heat
It was extremely hot when members of Buckinghamshire Bird Club congregated at the Greenham control tower car-park, at 3 pm on 23 May. This was a rare out-of-county trip (we were in West Berkshire).…
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Early-morning walk in @peakdistrict.bsky.social last month when on @campaign4parks.bsky.social away event for trustees @andrewmccloy.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/24/d...
Down dale up
It was a misty mid-April morning at Hartington Youth Hostel in the White Peak, Derbyshire. I got up before 6am to make the most of my time. I was there with the Campaign for National Parks for a tr…
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Roaming round Rushmere
On 17 May the Bucks Bird Club returned to Rushmere Country Park, for a stroll around the woods and heath, led by Rob Andrews who knows his patch intimately. We were on greensand, on the border of B…
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Buckinghamshire Bird Club@bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social · 3mo agoMany thanks to Rob Andrews for your tour around Rushmere Country Park. 33 species in total with Firecrest,Treecreeper and elusive Spotted Flycatchers as highlights. More fabulous Bucks habitat for us to explore. On to Greenham next week!
Lovely visit to Forest of Dean campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/16/b... @rspb.bsky.social @gloswildlife.bsky.social
Back to the Forest
I cannot resist visiting the Forest of Dean in springtime, and so I returned on 2 May, with my visually-impaired friend Marika Kovacs, to enjoy the birdsong. We started on Crabtree Hill, near the S…
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Path reopened on Cornish coast, thanks to @ramblers.org.uk & @openspacessociety.bsky.social www.voicenewspapers.co.uk/news/environ...
70-year blocked footpath reopens near Penzance
A blocked public footpath has been reopened after seven decades, thanks to a persistent campaign by The Ramblers and the Open Spaces Society.
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Amazing nightingales @berksbirdclub.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/09/l...
Light-winged dryad
When the chairman of the Bucks Bird Club, Dave Bevan, dropped a pin on a map and said ‘park here, turn right and walk along the path into scrub thicket, the nightingales are all in there̵…
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Pleased to take part in the bicentenary celebrations of the 1826 Glorious Majority vote in parliament to save the Eton lammas lands from inclosure @openspacessociety.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/07/t...
The Glorious Majority
Two hundred years ago, on 1 May 1826, the lammas lands of Eton and Eton Wick were saved for the people. These commons extend between the two settlements in Windsor and Maidenhead borough. In 1826 t…
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Splendid visit to @rspbframptonmarsh.bsky.social & Freiston with @bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/05/04/l...
Lifers in Lincs
I enjoyed a glorious birdfest at RSPB Freiston Shore and Frampton Marsh, thanks to the Buckinghamshire Bird Club (BBC). In one day I saw seven lifers and a further 19 year ticks, and the joy was al…
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My encounter with the king at England Coast Path launch and my explanation of the problem at Osborne, Isle of Wight @englishheritage.bsky.social @ramblers.org.uk @openspacessociety.bsky.social @nationaltrailsuk.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/04/24/a...
A royal gap
I was invited to celebrate the (almost) completion of the King Charles III England Coast Path. I had been involved from the very start, when Ramblers, Open Spaces Society, and others lobbied the go…
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Fab @ramblerscymru.bsky.social annual meeting where we discussed senedd elections, campaigning & celebrated volunteer successes @ramblersGB #AccessDenied campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/04/15/t...
The first day of spring (Diwrnod cyntaf y gwanwyn)
On 21 March, Ramblers Cymru held its annual meeting, once again at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells. It was a weekend of swapping campaign ideas, and of course some walks. I arrived on Frid…
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Lovely to celebrate new plaques on village greens at Dorchester on Thames. The greens were dedicated by the landowner Keith Ives & have been enjoyed by local residents for decades. A great example to other landowners. @openspacessociety.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/04/13/d...
Drinks at Dorchester
It is nearly ten years since the then owner of Bishops Court Farm, in the lovely Oxfordshire village of Dorchester on Thames, erected fences around land which local people had used for decades, and…
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Second gate to celebrate John Esslemont and his contributions to @ramblers.org.uk campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/04/11/j...
John’s second gate
Wycombe District Ramblers have dedicated a gate to founder member, John Esslemont. It replaces a tricky stile on the boundary of John’s home parish, Lane End (footpath 58), and Piddington and Whee…
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Celebrating with a new gate the massive contribution of John Esslemont to Ramblers, founder member Wycombe Group, holding nearly every post in Bucks Area @ramblers.org.uk @chilternsnl.bsky.social www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/2600001...
Wycombe group remembers one of its founding members with new gate
The Ramblers Wycombe and District Group has marked the contribution of one of its founder members with a lasting tribute on the paths he has spent…
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My lovely bird site at Hazlemere, Bucks, threatened @chilternsnl.bsky.social @bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social @nickmarriner.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/04/07/a...
A place for birds
A few weeks ago, in my role as Area footpath secretary for the Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, and West Middlesex Ramblers, I received a consultation from Buckinghamshire Council for the diversion …
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A few sightings from Little Marlow gravel pit today, blackcap, little ringed plover, and green woodpecker.
Celebrating Eugene Suggett's 38 glorious years @ramblers.org.uk expert in public paths, the law, and much else campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/04/03/t...
The ineffable Eugene
Eugene Suggett has left the Ramblers after 38 brilliant years. The prosaic title of Senior Policy Officer belied his vital role of championing public paths; he is one of the most knowledgeable peop…
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Visit to @ramblersscotland.bsky.social council & AGM, walked to #Radicalroad and saw #Accessdenied @ramblers.org.uk @gavincorbett.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/03/31/w...
World-class rights need world-class funding
Ramblers Scotland is calling on the new Scottish Parliament to introduce a £50-million Scottish Paths Fund, to improve the quality, accessibility, and visibility of paths. We learnt about this, and…
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Grand walk this morning around Tring reservoirs with @chilternsnl.bsky.social Tracking the Impact volunteers led by Dave Parmenter. Some year firsts @nickmarriner.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/03/28/t...
Things are starting to happen
It was 7am on a late-March morning, in glorious sun but with a biting wind. A group of fellow-volunteers from the Chilterns National Landscape’s Tracking the Impact project met at StartopR…
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