Barbed wire at Woolton Hill beauty spot angers villagers

Woolton Hill villagers Clive and Margaret Marsh hit out at the National Trust owners of The Chase, in Broad Layings, after barbed wire of about four feet high was recently erected at the site around some parts of the lake, and the perimeter of a meadow.
In an email to Newburytoday.co.uk, they wrote: “Nasty accidents are just waiting to happen.
“This horrendous wire is where visitors walk and play, indeed in one instance within two metres of a bench and just at seriously dangerous head height for youngsters.”
Concerns had been sent in writing to the National Trust about a month ago, they continued, asking for the wire to be removed, but no reply had been received.
The property manager for the National Trust, Dave Green, said that the barbed wire had passed a risk assessment carried out. “It’s entirely within safety guidelines,” said Mr Green, adding that barbed wire was an effective tool used to manage countryside nationally, by farmers and landowners.
The wire erected around the meadow he said, was to protect deer and cattle.
“It’s been put around the lake to avoid people falling in, due to silt and pollution damage – silt can be like quicksand,” said Mr Green.
“It’s also due to the banks of the lake being worn away.”
Pointing out that dogs should be kept on leads at The Chase – a nature reserve, he said that it was also a huge area, with plenty of other places for children to play, specially created buggy and wheelchair friendly paths and walkways.
“If I was taking my niece and nephew down there, I wouldn’t play next to the barbed wire,” he said.
Mr Green said that several meetings had been held in the village prior to the work, part of a £100,000 conservation project funded by Thames Water.
In 2010, local dog walkers were upset after the site was closed for around a year, following which the ‘dogs on leads’ rule was tightened up, with dog walkers expected to ensure that their pets used a new dog toilet area.
However Mr Green said that many villagers welcomed the changes. “Someone in Woolton Hill told me ‘We really like it now – we can come with our three-year-old and not get covered in dog mess and not fear them being knocked off their feet,’” he said.
For more information email thevyne@nationaltrust.org.uk