Wytton Perowne d'Arcy Dalton

THE UNVEILING OF THE BLUE PLAQUE

On a sunny Friday, 18th August, 2017, 40 people, including our President, Sir Hugo Brunner, the Chairmen of the South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils, officers from the Countryside Access Team of the County Council, and the CPRE, assembled in Great Milton beside the garden wall of the Limes, formerly known as Wyverns, the home of d'Arcy Dalton, former President of the Oxford Fieldpaths Society to witness the unveiling of a Blue Plaque dedicated to his memory as the Champion and Protector of the Public Rights of Way in Oxfordshire.

Professor Robert Evans, the Chairman of the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board opened the proceedings, pointing out that it was fitting that the plaque overlooked a public right of way and would therefore be seen by anyone walking the path alongside the house where d'Arcy himself had lived.

In 1913 d'Arcy came up to Lincoln College as an undergraduate, from Birmingham King Edward's School, only graduating after service in WW1 interrupted his studies, and thereafter maintaining his connection with the college until well after WW2 . One of the invited guests, Alan Montgomery, himself a graduate of the College, recalled that d'Arcy was a well-known figure in the College where he was President of the Junior Common Room.

In 1926 d'Arcy Dalton joined the newly formed Oxford and District Footpaths, Bridlepaths and Commons Preservation Society and was appointed as Honorary Assistant Secretary, devoting himself to ensuring that as many as possible of the footpaths represented on maps in Oxfordshire were indeed public rights of way; not, as OS Maps stated, 'The representation on this map of a Road, Track or Footpath is no evidence of the existence of a right of way'.

His devotion to the protection of Public Rights of Way through research and attendance at over 130 full-day hearings meant he was instrumental in saving many miles of PRoWs which otherwise would have been lost to the succeeding generations of walkers and horse riders who use and enjoy them today, and will continue to do so in the years to come.

It is interesting to note that the Ordnance Survey includes on its Explorer and Landranger map conventional signs showing those paths which are Public Rights of Way. These are shown in green or red and are based on information supplied by the Local Authority. It also states that: ‘The representation on this map of ANY OTHER road, track or path is no evidence of a right of way'. Only two additional words - but what a difference!

In 1959 d'Arcy Dalton became Chairman of the OFS, and in 1977 President, serving in this capacity until his death in 1981. In 1986 to celebrate the 60th year of the founding of the OFS, the Society inaugurated the long-distance 67-mile recreational route named in his honour. Jim Parke, the prime mover in organising the award of the plaque, then unveiled the Plaque to a round of applause.

This was followed by refreshment at the Bull Inn where there was a display of information relating to d'Arcy Dalton, including a copy of the 1933 map (the original work of the society as mentioned in the 2016 Newsletter). Then a short walk was taken around footpaths in the area, including a special route across private land at Chilworth Farm in recognition, by the owner, of such an auspicious occasion for the Society, Undaunted by a sudden downpour, it was generally agreed that the day had gone very well. Close neighbours of d'Arcy, who knew him well, expressed their pleasure that he was being honoured in this way saying that this wonderful man would have been extremely proud to be the recipient of the prestigious Blue Plaque.