18th December 2024
Steve died at 10pm on Wednesday 18th December 2024 at Treliske hospital after a short illness. His funeral was held on 9th January 2025 at 10am at Camborne Crematorium.
Steve was an ardent campaigner for improved access to the countryside, never giving up. He was awarded Life Membership for this work in 2023. Up until his death, he was working to improve access on National Trust properties.
For the past couple of years Steve had been a key member of our Accessible Gates Workshop, helping to design innovative solutions to access issues.
He ran a number of rambles for us over the years as well as being Chairman of Cornwall Rolling Ramblers.
Steve will be greatly missed by so many. John Cuthbertson
I have only known Steve through the Accessible Gates Workshop over the last year but have been extremely impressed by his engineering inventiveness and practical skills. He will be greatly missed in our future work. His absolute dedication to the cause of improving access for all users shone through all discussions with him and he has achieved good results in working with the NT in Cornwall which will benefit walkers of all abilities. Someone who really has volunteered their considerable skills for the benefit of others. Tom Bindoff
I heard the very sad news yesterday about Steve’s passing, which is a huge shock to everyone. He worked with us closely at Penrose and we all came to think of him as a good friend.
Steve was a huge positive influence shaping, guiding and encouraging access for all at Penrose since we first met almost 15 years ago, and the positive changes made as a result are an important part of his legacy. Mike Hardy, National Trust, Penrose
Steve will be sorely missed. He was an amazing campaigner for disabled access rights. He never gave up and his perseverance paid off. Amongst his many achievements we look forward to the new National Trust policy of chaining gates open when there are no livestock in the field. Each time I go through a gate that has been chained open in the future I shall remember Steve. Shail Patel
Steve was the DR Regional Rep for Cornwall. Our visits to Cornwall were always enhanced by a ramble with Steve. He introduced us to so many wonderful rambles, many of them in places where he had worked hard to improve access for all, and others where pasties or fish and chips could be picked up on route. This year we enjoyed assisting Steve in leading the Cornwall DR Ramble Week and in the process discovered more about his sense of mischief when he encouraged scooter riders to manoeuvre their scooters through an awkward kissing gate. Having achieved this, he then produced the key for the vehicle gate alongside! Steve was a remarkable man and will be missed by so many. Marian & Barry Andrews
Steve (CRR) Wilson was a great guy who was a champion for countryside access. He built up contacts and a good rapport with many of the rangers for land access across Cornwall and also on Dartmoor with WAGS. You could describe him as like a terrier as when he started on an access issue, he would not let it go.
He was Cornwall Rolling Ramblers (CRR), hopefully his friends will continue to tackle access issues in his name.
His rapport with many led him to be an unofficial consultant on access issues to many including Isle of Scillies Wildlife Trust where he and his friend Annabelle were invited in August to give advice on accessibility issues on their nature reserves. This is the chosen charity by his family for donations in his memory Higher Moors Nature for All | Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust – Click to give donations to this charity
We loved meeting up with him and doing many Cornish Rambles with him. He has introduced us to many stunning Cornish Rambles. We also enjoyed a fabulous holiday with him in Scotland in 2019 building unforgettable memories.
In October we joined Steve on Goss Moor and were introduced to this mystical magical area of wetland draped with moss where the ranger, Ashley, joined us at lunch time arriving in this enormous tractor, such a contrast to our mobility scooters. We set off on a rather wet muddy path across the less accessible middle of the moor and had great fun in the mud. Upon reaching a footbridge over the river Fal no one was deterred at the foot high step, especially Ashley. We gathered local brush and branch debris to create a makeshift ramp and Steve was the front of the queue to tackle this obstacle successfully, see video. It was a brilliant day which will live on in our memories. As his friend Annabelle has referred to him – a Legend. Leaving behind him a legacy of a much more accessible Cornwall. He will be missed by so many though I think the NT access guy at Godrevy might breathe a sigh of relief . RIP Steve free of pain and earthly limitations. Enjoy your diving and climbing again. Condolences to his daughter Emily, granddaughter Ivy, son Elliot and grandson Seb. Linda & Peter
I would add he inspired and encouraged many of us to be brave enough to explore the world around us again bringing back our joy of life. I can never thank him enough for that. Annabelle Alison
Pete and I will greatly miss Steve. Writing this several weeks on, neither of us can still believe he has gone. Ever since we met him at the Dartmoor Walking Festival, he was an inspiration. He was always supportive of us and was always keen to help and offer advise if we asked. I will miss his phone calls and his sense of humour.
Over the years, we have loved going on his rambles in Cornwall. They were some of the most spectacular we’ve been on. Like others have said, my first experience on a beach in my scooter was at Godrevy on the Cornish ramble week. We remember having pasties for lunch on several of the rambles. They were always delicious. His love for Cornwall always shone through.
Whenever Steve and Pete got together or spoke, there was always the constant knowledge exchange between them on many madcap variations on what could be done to different scooters! At one point Steve suggested Pete should move from Wiltshire to Camborne to become his personal mechanic, I’m not sure if I was included in this move J!
He was a unique person and definitely a one off. His unwavering belief that he could improve access across Cornwall and elsewhere, was a great testament to him. He continually challenged organisations to improve access. His indomitable style made him very successful getting changes across Cornwall and elsewhere.
Steve, we will miss you. Cornwall, will never be the same without you. Sending all our love and sympathies to his family and friends. Paula & Pete Brunt 30/12/2024
