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Piers Court Footpaths

I have been asked by the Owners of Piers Court to include this text for publication.

The lockdown in recent months has been challenging for all of us.  As a result, Piers Court has experienced a big increase in the footprint on its grounds.  Whilst the majority of walkers have respected that Piers Court is a private property with public footpaths with a public right of way (PROW), some sadly have assumed that Piers Court is a public park which has resulted in undesirable consequences for the new owners of Piers Court (damage to property, unpicked dog fouling and blatant trespass).  Whilst such abuse may have been due to insufficient signage and a lack of awareness by some walkers, the owners of Piers Court would like to kindly remind walkers that the use of the PROW is subject to a statutory code where the rules are laid out by law and not by the owners. 

Now that the lockdown is being slowly relaxed, the owners have placed signs over the grounds of the property to guide walkers to the footpaths with PROW.   Additionally, the owners have placed signs indicating where there are permissive footpaths which walkers can use at the owners’ discretion despite the absence of a PROW.  All accessible footpaths (PROWs and permissive) have been cleared and widened so as to make walks more enjoyable.  Furthermore, a viewing point has been cleared to enable walkers to take a short break and to enjoy the vantage point from the permissive footpath over the Church, Berkeley Castle and the Severn Estuary.  The new owners would kindly request that walkers in the field which is furthest from the house (near Yercombe Lodge) use the permissible footpath on the edge of the field rather than the diagonal PROW.  This polite request is for the purpose of limiting the damage to the crops (hay).  The owners have a contract in place with a local farmer Chris Morgan who takes care of the fields in return for the hay yield.  The owners are therefore requesting that walkers be community-spirited.

In addition, the owners of Piers Court are investing a substantial sum of money in restoring the original Parkland and planting new trees to replace those that are coming to the end of their life.  This would be for future generations to enjoy.

The owners are close friends with Evelyn Waugh’s family, in particular with Septimus (Evelyn’s youngest son) who vividly remembers his early childhood at Piers Court and who is currently assisting the new owners.  Given that it is the 75th anniversary of the publication of Brideshead Revisited (which was written at Piers Court), the owners will be inviting some of the Waugh family to Piers Court to mark the occasion.

Helen Lawton.

“All opinions and information expressed in e-News items and on the website are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the Parish Council”

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