Pay by standing order

If you pay your membership by bank transfer please consider making it a standing order. This greatly reduces the work to be done by the Hodgemoor Riding Association secretary, work done since 2000 by Susie Bicknell. We have put the standing order form on our website now, to encourage you to download it, fill it out and get it back to us (email or post). The form is in MS Word so you can type in your details easily…

https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/so_standing_order_mandate_hodgemoor.doc

We confirm that the Association will reimburse you any monies paid on a standing order after you notify us of your leaving the area and the Association.

By the way, if you pay be PayPal then setting up a PayPal annual payment to us is even easier. Then the secretary does not have to remind you and chase you every year.

Thanks in advance, Marcus

Trail works in Hodgemoor, July 2024

Trail works in Hodgemoor, July 2024

Following the decisions of the Hodgemoor Riding Association’s AGM of November 2023 (see footnote [1]) we have received and accepted contractors’ quotes. Forestry England undertakes the works at the cost of the Hodgemoor Riding Association under the contract of 2016 (see footnote [2]) under which horse riders have the right to use the permissive trails in Hodgemoor and the obligation to fund maintenance. Since 2001 we have raised over £250,000 and have helped make Hodgemoor Woods into an amenity of such value to all users including walkers.

Cyclists are permitted to go on the bridleways (a statutory right) and the horse trails (a permissive right accorded by Forestry Englanbd and the Hodgemoor Riding Association) but are not allowed to ride on footpaths or anywhere else in the woods. Horse-riders pay and annual membership; cyclists are encouraged to contribute by joining (link at footnote [3])

Works start on Wednesday 31 July and will continue for about 10 days. The car park in Bottrells Lane will be closed during the works to minimise danger to walkers, cyclists, riders and dogs around the heavy earth-moving equipment. Work is done respecting the woods’ status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Natural England’s requirements including the use of pH-neutral hoggin. Each part of the work in the list below has an alpha-ident relating it to the map at https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hodgemoor-trails-2023-needing-work-2024-MB-SAB-alpha-idents.jpg

D – Amber’s Trail link to Bracken Ride.  

Rebuild 10 metre section of the trail which has turned to mud – 250mm depth of 50mm limestone and 50mm depth of hoggin.

10T limestone and 2T hoggin.

E – Yellow Brick Road. 2 x 10 metre separate sections half way up trail- 250mm depth of 50mm limestone and 50mm depth of hoggin.

20T limestone and 4T hoggin.

F – Rawlings Corner. Build up the ground between the two southerly posts preventing vehicles from getting into the woods, puddle all year.

3T type 1 granite

I – The Mount. Break-up of surface on the slope due to uncontrolled flood flow. The solution is to install water bars or interceptor dykes, large stones or strong wood embedded diagonally in the trail at intervals.

5 x 2m length waterbars – made up of 150mm-300mm limestone rocks.

J – The Mount. 20m section of path. The tree roots at the top of the Mount are quite an obstacle now – raise the surface of the path with new material – 250mm depth of 50mm limestone and 50mm depth of hoggin.

20T limestone and 4T hoggin.

K – The Glade. The Glade needs 10 metre resurfacing as it has turned to mud over the culvert pipe. Second area further up needs 10 metres resurfacing – 250mm depth of 50mm limestone and 50mm depth of hoggin.

20T limestone and 5T hoggin.

 L – The Glade. Large puddle at the bottom of the Glade towards Widmer Corner, junction with the Dell – 2 x Culverts and 25m resurfacing required – 250mm depth of 50mm limestone and 50mm depth of hoggin.

25T limestone and 5T hoggin.

300mm diameter culverts – 10m and 3m lengths

M – Western Bridle Path (aka Old Bridle Path). break-up of surface on the slope at the Widmer end creating gorge. Install culvert and ditching.

300mm diameter culvert – 5m length.

Circa 15m ditching (300-500mm depth)

N – Western Bridle Path (aka Old Bridle Path). Some work needed one third of the way to join sections of surfaced track – 50m length – 250mm depth of 50mm limestone and 50mm depth of hoggin.

45T limestone and 10T hoggin.

Total Materials Required

140T 50mm limestone, 30T hoggin (locally sourced), 3T granite type 1, 18m 300mm diameter culvert and 10m length of waterbar (large rock/limestone)

 

Map at https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hodgemoor-trails-2023- needing-work-2024-MB-SAB-alpha-idents.jpg  

 

Marcus Bicknell, chairman, Hodgemoor Riding Association

and voluntary Forest Warden, Hodgemoor, Forestry England

Susie Bicknell, secretary, Hodgemoor Riding Association

 

Hodgemoor Riding Association

A Charitable Unincorporated Association under the United Kingdom’s 2011 Charities Act.

Homefarm Orchard, Kirby Close, Threehouseholds, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks HP8 4FF phone 01494 872447 – Marcus mobile and WhatsApp 07748 111444 – Susie mobile and WhatsApp 07876 581144.

https://hodgemoor.org.uk     https://www.facebook.com/hodgemoorwoods

[1] https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/trail_works_2024_with_map_november_2023.pdf

[2] https://hodgemoor.org.uk//wp-content/uploads/2017/06/forestry_commission_hodgemoor_agreement_2016.pdf

[3] https://hodgemoor.org.uk/cycling/ and scroll down to payment options.

New map of Hodgemoor

Thanks to our friends Bob Beresford and Mark  Thompson in the Thames Valley Orienteering Club, we are proud to make available to riders, cyclists, walkers and all users of Hodgemoor Woods a new detailed map (thumbnail on the right).

The bridle-paths are shown in red and the permissive horse trails (where cyclists may also ride) are shown in blue. Neither cycling nor horse-riding is permitted on the footpaths (in black) or elsewhere in the woods (Forestry England bye-laws). Roads are in light brown.

You can download an A4 copy at 830kb at https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/hodgemoor_map.jpg

This map has a QR code which is used on display posters in the woods and in horse livery yards for users to access on their smart phones. Point you smartphone camera at the QR code, then click on the yellow link which appears towards the bottom of your screen.

We also have a high definition copy at 2.16mb which you can get from us by email; request at chairman@hodgemoor.org.uk

AGM and 2024 trail works

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Hodgemoor Riding Association, the Treasurer’s Report and the proposed 2024 maintenance works on the trails in the woods have been published on our web site…

https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/agm2023.pdfgm2023.pdf

https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/treasurer_report_2023.pdf

https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/trail_works_2024_with_map_november_2023.pdf

Hodgemoor AGM 20 November 2023

In advance of the AGM of your Association on Monday 20th November 2023, the accounts for the year to 31 October 2023 have already been prepared by the Tresurer Geoff Gudgion and approved by the Chairman Marcus Bicknell – within three weeks of the period end. Thank you Geoff. The cash position is rather positive with £28,289.19 in the bank; this gives us plenty of funds to attribute to maintenance of the trails in Hodgemoor in summer 2024, to be diuscussed and approved in principle at the AGM.

The only negative trend is outlined in the Treasurer’s note: Due to a late transfer from PayPal, subscriptions in the current year are over-stated by approximately £700 and the slight rise in year-on-year subscriptions in the accounts masks an underlying decline. Total subscribing members have dropped from 299 last year to 235 this year.

You can download the accounts here: treasurer_report_2023

You can download the 20 November 2023 AGM agenda here https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/agm_agenda_2024.pdf

It is the Association’s policy to publish accounts, minutes and documents of corporate governance on our website. You can see records going back 20 years at https://hodgemoor.org.uk/downloads/