Hi dave glad to see that you are still keeping an eye on me.
Since last posting this example there are two main changes. Firstly I am now a member of SCC Local Access Forum, not that this gives any means to make changes, but it has allowed me some insight into the workings of the system and secondly I have learnt to access the records in the county archive.
I believe what I am finding is relevant to others and so what I learn may be useful to others and hopefully others will contribute their knowledge to help in a learning curve that histman so rightly points out, that this is all dead and buried after 2026.
Thanks histman for your post. This morning I spoke to the Councillor for the Gains park ward, where this issue is local. I am sending him the link to this topic, so that he can read a more informative account, than could be explained on the telephone. Your explanation of the situation in your area is a valuable contribution.
And histman you are right there was indeed a villain of the piece or several. To the NW there is Onslow Hall the very type of Victorian/Edwardian estate that features where there are obvious flaws in the access network as proscribed by the DM. A close look at the map will reveal a Parish Boundary very close to Corner Farm. It is possible that the white lane leading to the farm and the bridge fell within the area of the old Atcham and Rural District Council, this was chaired by an estate agent Gordon Miller at the time of the formation of the DM, who administered (according to one local farmer) at least 7 estates around Shrewsbury. The then owner of the Onslow estate, Wingfield by name, according to a well known local reporter had an air of self importance and little else to do with his time but massage his self esteem. Corner farm is still on the Onslow estate.
Since posting last night I realise that the images of the 1881 map are not as good as they should be (I will try to make a better image), although the common way, shown is now covered with the urban encroachment of the 20th century, the indicators that led me to the conclusion that this was a well used way over an area the extends beyond that of one property owner are there to be seen on the map.
Mananddogs post highlights one very good reason why these lost ways are still important to our countryside network, the ways themselves may not be too relevant but they lead to valuable infra-structure such as his rickety bridge. I hope to pursue this topic to reveal other such items of infra-structure that should be identified before the 2026 cut off date.
This image may be a bit more easy to see the points on the map.
The footpath actually goes along the boundary of Corner farms orchard, with a spur that leads to the front of the house. Many comunual routes tended to go to the back doors of farms so that the resident employees, such as dairy maids, could travel in company to church and such, Here we have a route that actually byepasses the farm.
Slightly further east the way that joins the E to W route from the south splits in a Y denoting the use of the route in two directions. These cartographers were the best of their generation and not the slap dash compilers of the DM and this can be seen by the detail of the trees, a path across a field needs to be in pretty regularly used to be picked up in this detail.
It is interesting how the general direction of the way has the option to veer south to join the road that is now the B4386 Montgomery or north to join the line of the old Roman road. Women walking in long dresses would surely have prefered to walk, where there was less wheeled traffic to cut up the road surface.
The picture of this way to the west of Corner farm also hold some fascinating clues, this will come when I have the images prepared to post.
As an incidental note I had to pay £5 for the priviledge of photographing the microfiche in the county archives, in order to keep the cost down to a reasonable cost per image I took about 200 shots, these are taking a bit of sorting through.