Dangerous roads
Liz Charnell
Plaw Hatch has a field called Toll Field that lies on the other side of Plawhatch Lane. You may have seen tractors or gardeners coming out of the entrance as you round the final bend before you turn right into the farm.
For the last three years it has been out of vegetable production as the garden rotation allowed it to have a rest (although last year we grew fodder beets to feed the cows through the winter). This year sees us back in there, but sadly none of us are looking forward to that, even though it is one of the most fertile pieces of land on which to grow and is a very beautiful place to work with stunning views of a setting sun towards the South Downs.
The reason we are not relishing the idea is because of the speed at which cars come around that bend. Over the years we have been unable to convince any authority that the speed limit needs to be adjusted, and that an accident is just waiting to happen. Last year there was a car crash on that exact bend, and yesterday (Wednesday 20th) unfortunately there was another one. Luckily no one was seriously hurt on either occasion, but how long until that isn’t the case? I have been crossing to Toll Field with my dog, Gus, for over 12 years so I should really be use to it, but perhaps it is because I have got away with it for so long, or I feel our luck is going to run out, or because the speed and behaviour of car drivers has changed so much that this year we have altered our whole rotation so that the work we do over there does not involve a daily commute! (Except that planting onions does require many hands right now so we are having to run the gauntlet!)
The speed limit is 60mph and so no one is breaking the law driving the chicane at that speed, and we have spent many hours wondering about signs, flashing lights, pop up warnings to somehow warn drivers that they may meet a tractor as they take the bend as well as help those on foot exiting the field. We will be putting up a couple of mirrors (a big thank you to our neighbours for that) to help us see around the blind bend, but it does nothing to slow down drivers already on the road. When we’re exiting the field in a tractor towing any kind of implement, once we commit to turning onto the road we are not able to swerve and are certainly going very slowly. So here is a plea to those approaching the farm from Goats Cross:
Please slow down especially as you pass the sign on your left that says Old Plaw Hatch Farm Shop ahead. If that means the person behind gets a bit agitated think to yourself that you may be saving a life of either a farmer/gardener or even the driver behind you. If you do meet a tractor, it is far easier to slow down from 40mph than it is from 60mph…
