Church Hill Footpath
Getting up or down Church Hill is dangerous. Our first major project is to build a safe, pedestrian path to connect the village with the church, school, pub and bowls club.
Why this project matters
With The Castle Inn, the Bowls Club and the church at the top of Church Hill, pedestrians have long faced an unsafe walk since motor traffic increased. Children from St Nicholas Primary and the pre-school must march up to church services two-by-two, marshalled by adults in hi-vis jackets.
Friends of St Nicholas is leading delivery of a path wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, designed to be dog- and pushchair-friendly.
Proposed route
The pathway is planned in five sections:
- The Village Halls area
- The Old School House corner
- Orchard Nursery field
- The Commonwealth Graveyard and lychgate
- The path through the graveyard behind the cottages
Progress and next steps
The project has been made possible through the generosity of four landowners: the trustees of The Philip Martineau Trust, Maggie Sanderson at The Old School House, Chris and Angela James of Orchard Nursery, and The Venerable Stephen Pullin, Archdeacon of Berkshire.
Wokingham Borough Council has confirmed that planning permission is not required and the pathway can proceed under permitted development.
The next main phases are:
- Putting the contract out to tender to landscaping contractors
- Fundraising through several different routes
- Starting work once costs are firm and funding is in place
We hope work can begin within the next nine months, with the aim of opening the path to the village in mid-2027.
Huge thanks to the landowners and local community supporters, especially Sue Cummings for her illustrations and Mark Leedale (Planning Consultant), who has worked on our behalf pro bono.
Project images
