Gerry Stewart, 1933 – 2024 

We are sad that our local correspondent for Cotswold District in Gloucestershire who served for 26 years, has died aged 90. 

Gerald Frederick Stewart, known as Gerry, was born in Winchcombe on 5 September 1933.  He moved, as a young child, to Frampton Cottages, near the village of Alderton, six miles east of Tewkesbury.  He attended the village school there, and later Cheltenham Grammar.   

In 1952 he was called up for National Service and served in the military police in Germany and Egypt, in the Suez Canal Zone.  He subsequently joined Gloucestershire Constabulary in Cheltenham. 

In March 1955 he married Kathleen (Kate) Diana Kent in Cheltenham Registry Office.  In his youth he was a keen cyclist, and later an enthusiastic walker, climber, and mountaineer.  With Kate he was an early member of the Gloucestershire Mountaineering Club. 

They had two children, Nicholas and Genevieve, both of whom were born in Stroud.  Gerry was posted to other towns, eventually returning to Cheltenham where he retired as an inspector after 30 years.  He then worked for Gloucestershire County Council rights of way department as a path inspector for 11 years, retiring in 1998. 

He wrote to the Open Spaces Society on 23 August 1998 to offer his services as a local correspondent, saying: ‘I am likely to resume my earlier role of trying to influence some of the county council’s actions regarding public rights of way, and monitoring against too many irrational decisions.’ 

Our local correspondents are appointed by our board of trustees, and we welcome people who are both familiar with the work and prepared to act as individuals, taking a firm line against path changes.  Gerry was evidently such a person, and so we were delighted to appoint him.  He proved to be just what we needed, principled and unshakeable. 

There are many paths which Gerry has saved, often as a lone voice.  For instance, in 2005 bridleway BDR9 past Pinsbury Park, a magnificent mansion at Duntisbourne Rouse, was to be diverted for ‘privacy and security’ reasons away from the house and losing the view of it.  Gerry stopped this from happening. 

In 2016 footpath HOD9 at Oddington was proposed for closure, when the owners of Brans Cottage built a patio across it and wanted people instead to walk alongside the busy A436.  Gerry stopped that too. 

Just last year, Gloucestershire County Council applied to the magistrates’ court to close the illegally-obstructed Hanover Green Road at Redmarley.  Gerry fought that and, with other organisations, we saved it from closure and are now waiting for the county council to remove the obstructions.  It is sad that Gerry did not live to see that day. 

By objecting, alone, to the diversion of footpath HBW26 at Bourton on the Water Gerry has secured an extra width and ensured the path will be maintained. 

His quarterly reports to our trustees were full of activity.  For instance, in February 2008 he wrote: ‘I have erected approx 70 sign arms and waymarked 130 miles of the Gloucestershire and Wysis Ways (my personal interest).’  Shortly before his retirement he had started work on the creation of a series of long-distance themed walks in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, and associated guidebooks.  In 1996 the first of these, the Gloucestershire Way, was published (providing very popular and appearing on Ordnance Survey maps), followed by the Wysis Way (1997), the Three Choirs Way (1999), the Cotswolds Canals Walk (2000), and the St Kenelm’s Way (2005). 

He argued continually about the shocking state of stiles and the need for their removal, and gave the county council a hard time, but all for the public good.  When he gave up as our local correspondent in April we realised we had a gap which could never be filled. 

Sadly, Gerry died after a short illness, on 1 July 2024 in Cheltenham General Hospital. 

We shall all miss his feisty, dogged determination.  We certainly need more Gerrys. 

Kate Ashbrook, with thanks to Nicholas Stewart for family information. 

Header image: Rumman Amin