Peep-O-Day Lane thin track in the middle

Peep-O-Day Lane
Caroline wanted to share the good work of one man. He was frustrated with the state of Peep-O-Day Lane which has become overgrown and covered in mud, and so he has undertaken the task of clearing it himself this bank holiday for cyclists and walkers as it had been reduced down to just a thin track in the middle. He has a shovel and a broom and is clearing the whole path all the way down, as you can see in the picture attached. Caroline thought it was inspirational as it shows what can be done if you are willing to give a little bit of your own time.

24 thoughts on “Peep-O-Day Lane thin track in the middle

  1. Captainkaos2

    Very well done that man ( who is he?) I wonder if he’s the same man I could see today walking the tow path opposite “peep-o-day” lane picking up rubbish ?

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  2. Rachel

    Great work. Where is Peep-O-Day lane?

    I walked down the path from Tesco to Drayton bridge today and that had been cleared too – much wider and smoother to navigate than when I last ventured down there, 3 years ago

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  3. Captainkaos2

    Rachel, Peep-O-day lane originally went from the old foundry/junction with Caldecotte road all the way along the river side, past the sailing club and through where the marina is, past the sewer farm and gravel pits and all the way up to the Drayton road, it was so named because you had the first “peep of the day” from it looking eastward across Andersay Island ( toward the Culham road ) sometime during the last century part of it was renamed Wilsham road and the Drayton end of it got corrupted to “Oday Hill” and later the Round house because of the round toll house that once stood at the junction of Oday Hill and the Drsyton rd, I remember it well and the notorious S bend at that junction too!
    Another piece of useless info for you, talking with my 95 year old aunt whose father in law was once the lock keeper she recalls a later lock keeper by the name of Whitehead who built a model village of Abingdon on the lock island, does anyone have any photos or memories of it?

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  4. Martin

    When, in 2006, the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust built the new stretch of canal and the footpath down to the river Thames from Peep-o-Day Lane, it opened up a circular walking route from the Marina area. They also cleared Peep-o-Day Lane for a few years but it became too large a job for the rather mature man and woman power (one of each) involved. It was done as a community benefit. So all the more credit to the one man who is doing it now.

    A request was also made to several authorities to have the overhanging trees cut back but no-one claims maintenance responsibility for the Lane.

    The bank areas by the new canal are designated a wildlife area which is why it isn’t mown. It isn’t therefore ‘pretty’ but talk to naturalists and they will tell you about all the species that live and feed there. Many wildflowers and hedgerow trees were planted too.

    The history of the Lane and the model village is most interesting too.

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  5. Judith

    Thank you so much to the man who has done this. It has made a huge difference. Very much appreciated from a regular walker of that path.

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  6. Janet

    Yes good work. We needs more public spirited people. I go done my road with a litter picker to remove rubbish left from rubbish bins. I used to walk from Oday Hill down through Peep-O-Day Lane but found it a bit remote. I now walk with others on the health walks from the Leisure Centre

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  7. Dave

    Thank you to the poster of the interesting history behind Pep-O-Day Lane. All that from just one byway in South Abingdon.

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  8. Graham

    What a great effort. As a regular cyclist commuter who uses this path daily, I too appreciate this man’s efforts. Perhaps this public spirited person could use this blog to ask for help next time; I would be up for that!

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  9. andy

    Well done for this person on taking the initiative on cleaing the path. I have my doubts that this section of sustrans NCN5 ‘Hanson Way’ has ever been swept/ given attention, and it was badly needed. It’s a shame that periodic maintenance of these cycle routes appears to be so lacking…

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  10. Martin

    FAO Andy – It was me that cleared the leaves etc in the late 2000s as Sustrans denied any responsibility for the route’s maintenance.

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  11. Guy

    Well done fella !! When I am out and about I always pickup the odd empty beer can etc bag it and bin it !! Even if the local authorities aren’t interested I am as its our community not there’s !! What really rattles me is why don’t they litter pick the grass areas before they cut them !! What a mess they make !!!

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  12. Cassandra

    Well Guy, whilst I am in agreement with your comment about the shredded litter, picking it up before grass cutting entails extra hours spent completing the job. Thereby more expense, probably resulting in higher Council Tax charges.
    I object to paying extra tax to clear up after the idle, thoughtless people who discard their takeaway debris all over the public footpaths. The routes leading from Macdonalds in all directions are a disgrace. Likewise the areas near all of the hot food takeaway outlets in Abingdon. There are just too many of these places being licensed.
    Having said that, we should be grateful to the public spirited people who do make an effort to ameliorate the situation.
    Rather than taking responsibility for even more
    higbway cleaning, I would rather the Local Authorities took into account the nuisance: pavement parking, smell, litter, possible vermin threat, when they issue licences for even more hot food/takeaway outlets.

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  13. Spike S

    Causes/Effects/Consequences:
    Perhaps those fast-food licences should require MacD & similar to demonstrate how public-spirited they are by assembling their cohorts of minimum wage ‘partners’ to clear up within half a mile of their emporiums every week.
    The more they are successful in re-programming their lazy/selfish customers, the less work they would have to do. Simples !

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  14. Steve

    Great work to the fella that cleared the path, inspirational stuff!
    Also great idea to mention on the blog as I’d happily come down to help for a couple of hours 🙂
    I still think this should be a job for people on community service. There are loads or scallywags that would benefit from doing a hard days graft and maybe learning to take care of their surroundings. I mentioned this to our local Lib Dem a while back and was told health and safety wouldn’t allow it. I don’t know if that was a kop out or not.

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  15. KevD

    Can I say, thanks to all those people that appreciate the work that I did over the Bank Holiday weekend. All in all I spent 13.5 hours, over 90% on my own, over the 4 days clearing all 321m of the path.

    As a cyclist, it really annoyed me that neither the council nor Sustrans thought this was a problem, and given that, some body, had just spent the money to clear the south half was even more annoying.

    So, everyone, enjoy 😀

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  16. Cassandra

    Steve – in my former city, our lovely ornamental Victorian parks were maintained by groups of people on Community Service. They were organised and supervised by the gardeners from the Parks Department. They did a good job and I assume that it was possible under Health and Safety regulations.
    Actually, on reflection, may be a Community Service litter-pick would be a good idea.!!!

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  17. Graham

    Thanks for the work cleaning the path it looks fantastic . Like others have mentioned if it comes down to requiring another clean up job I am more than happy to join in. I use the cycle path daily for my commute I am not so sure of the effectiveness of the Fix my street web site (but it may just be OCC not paying any attention to it and being ineffective) as OCC deny responsibility for the section that has been cleaned by Kevin and that bit of road outside the gravel plant. Sustrans say its down to OCC and all my emails to local councillors seem to fall on deaf ears. The only bit they seem to take responsibility for is the next section of path which they have finally recently given a good cut back to the vegetation such that you can more easily get down the path. More pressure is still needed on councillors and MP’s to improve cycling facilities. Thanks again Graham

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  18. andy

    Well done Martin.

    From memory, last time I went down the lane I found the gravel road section before the quarry (I think it was) pretty bad – I wonder if this section is private/ owned by company, who may encouraged to improve the surface.

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  19. Kate Venables

    I was glad to see today (30.03.20) that the Council is clearing Peep O Day lane. In one stretch there are a number of pebbles ploughed up by the digger. I wondered if they are old cobbles? I hope there is a plan to re-lay the cobbles? And – how old is Peep O Day lane? Is it a medieval trackway?

    Reply

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