FURTHER to Mrs Pennington’s letter last week, how I agree.

It is such a horrible local trend now that everything is being priced out of a pensioner’s reach.

Another sad example is the Great Hall at Winchester with the ‘Round Table’.

This used to be free entry but we went with friends a few days ago to find a custodian on sentry and some horrible sort of sheep pen barriers to force visitors to hand over their cash.

Just like the evil turnstiles at the Cathedral itself (another place now barred to any poor pensioner).

The Winchester Council must have made that decision without any consideration.

Of course there have always been donation boxes and indeed we have contributed, but there’s a big difference between a donation box and an evil turnstile barring what is supposed to be God’s house.

Am I alone in my anger at this development?

I doubt it. Given that the church is one of the nation’s richest institutions, their attitude is appalling.

I am afraid Salisbury Cathedral is just as bad. It must be ten years since we last ‘paid’ to go in.

Stonehenge at £15 a throw just to walk near but not within the stones is another appalling rip off example.

Then here — the glorious Test Valley where but for a few tiny banks and various crossings one can hardly see, let alone walk, along the river. My grandfather told me he used to walk beside the Test from Longstock to Romsey.

Oh happy days indeed long before private hordes with money, fishing rights and closed paths became the Test Valley legacy.

TE Brown the Manx poet wrote: ‘The meanest thing a man can do is shut up a footpath’.

Christopher Inglis, Above Town, Upper Clatford