Posted by Jock on October 23, 2006 at 23:30:18 from 87.105.81.146 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: A report on Goblin Creek, Witch's Quay and Flint Island posted by Mike Dennis on October 23, 2006 at 17:27:54:
MD Most people think that that the foot path runs all the way down Quay Lane
so leading to what AR named Witch's Quay, but it doesn't. The last section of
the lane is a private road that belongs to the owner of the Quay House and the
cottage, the footpath goes off to the side of the lane then crosses the
lane then the bridge by the quay to carry on toward Walton.
AC-B Anyway, is it possible to land on the right of way at High Water springs,
give or take an hour?
MD As for landing rights, I have seen people land opposite the Quay House
(I assume that's where you mean), but whether they are supposed to is another
matter!
The map shows the Witch's House almost at the bottom of the old Quay. A disused
footpath runs round the back of the Witch's House until it reaches the bridge, which
IIRC is more like a dam. Both the footpath described by Mike as being to the 'side
of the lane' and the disused footpath run on top of the pre-1953 floods embankment.
The post floods bridge linking the raised embankments makes footpath at the back
of the Witch's House redundant.
In the early 1960's, there was a small single plank landing stage opposite where the
Quay House now stands. (I don't remember the Quay House, but maybe as an old
granary it looked less out of place than in its current incarnation as a very private
house.) A footpath led from the landing stage across the saltings to the embankment.
Part of this area is now fenced off, but as the saltings would be under water at HW
Springs, this fencing I suspect illegally encloses part of the Crown foreshore. The
rights pertaining to Crown Foreshore are:
The Crown, as "Government", holds inalienable rights in trust for the public in
relation to foreshore, seabed and inshore water. These include rights of free navigation
(to sail, anchor and move goods and passengers) and rights to take commercial fish
species including shellfish and bait but excepting farmed stock, oysters and mussels in
beds, and to spread nets out to dry on the shore). There is, surprisingly, no actual right
of the public to be on Crown foreshore except for the purposes of exercising rights
of navigating and fishing. However, the Crown Estate Commissioners normally place
no restriction on access for amenity and recreational purposes over their tidal lands.
This does not extend to right of access over private foreshore or over private land
to reach Crown foreshore. However, there is a perceived right of access over the
foreshore owned by the Crown, which it is unlikely to withhold.
The large scale map is from a UK government site called 'Magic'.
The first web-based interactive map to bring together geographic information
on key environmental schemes and designations in one place
Wonderful mapping with great features, but fiendishly difficult to use.