Manning's Pit
The field known as Manning's
Pit, and the ones beside it that lead towards
Tutshill Woods, are loved by almost everyone,
including me, in Pilton, Bradiford and the
surrounding area. At an Auction on
October 27th, an agent
for the purchaser of another
Lot took up
an
Option to purchase the Manning's Pit fields as well,
for £250,000. We fear that they did so in the hope
that they can be developed, either now, or in
the future, despite the fact that they
are outside the development boundary.
A town is more than houses and
infrastructure, it needs green spaces where people
can walk and refresh their spirits. We
need housing, but the most beautiful parts of our
countryside and towns need to be protected,
too. This is the most accessible countryside
to the North and West of Barnstaple, the one place
where you can walk away from traffic noise and enjoy
peace and tranquility. These fields are part of our heritage,
as important to us as Hampstead Heath and Primrose
Hill are to Londoners. If the government
relaxed planning laws in London so that those places
could be built upon, what an outcry there
would be!
I was one of a group of
people who set up The Friends of Manning's Pit group
in response to news of the impending Auction. With
almost no time for publicity, we received pledges of
nearly £30,000 to support a bid. We believe that had
we been given more time we could indeed have raised
the money to keep Manning's Pit safe for ever.
For news of what we plan to
do next, go to:
and for more information
about Pilton, Bradiford and the history of Manning's
Pit, go to:
This Facebook Page below was
also set up by someone who walks in the fields and
loves them so much - do look at the beautiful
photographs.
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