Tom Bindoff 16/06/2026
I’m deeply saddened to report that Tom, an innovator in access to the countryside, died recently. His funeral service will be held at St Leonard’s Church, Watlington on Friday 17th July at 2.30p.m.
Tom was always at the forefront of innovation in access to the countryside. A keen rambler, Tom led large groups of people on walks and realized that the existing gates and stiles made it difficult, or impossible for some people to enjoy a walk in the country. An engineer and creative designer, Tom, set up Centrewire, a leading supplier of gates and other access furniture to councils, farmers and land owners. He designed and built kissing gates that could be opened by using a RADAR key – the one that gives access to disabled toilets. These kissing gates allow people on large mobility scooters to pass while preventing unauthorized access. To ensure correct measurements, Tom borrowed a Tramper, an off-road capable mobility scooter, from Robin Helby, a founder member of the Disabled Ramblers, to use as a guide for building this. And so a lasting friendship between Tom and the Disabled Ramblers was formed. Tom has been a valued member since 2007 and was made a Life Member in 2025. In 2006 he was awarded the Wenman Trophy for outstanding contributions to the Disabled Ramblers.
Tom retired and sold Centrewire to IAL in 2006 but remained a volunteer adviser to them until very recently which proved to be very useful to us and all who access the countryside.
In 2015, when the British Horse Society (BHS) decided to run a trial of bridle gates to determine which were safe for horse riders to use, Tom was at the forefront of setting the trial gates up – a row of 10 gates. The trial was administered by people from Natural England to ensure a measurable and impartial result.
Tom lived in Watlington, a village on the edge of the Chilterns. Close by is Natural England’s Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve. Tom had, for many years, been a volunteer at the reserve and dreamed of setting up an area where a range of gates could be assessed. Tom persuaded the gate manufactures who had provided the gates for the BHS trial to donate these gates to the Reserve together with a range of pedestrian gates and other furniture. Tom then set about installing them, almost single-handedly. On one of my visits, Tom had badly damaged one hand when he hit it with a lump hammer. Undeterred, he continued working, determined to get the area ready for the grand opening of the National Land Access Centre (NLAC) by Lord Blencathra on 14th October 2019. Tom regularly conducted training sessions at the centre, now renamed the Centre for Outdoor Access Training (COAT), for the various groups, focusing on better understanding BS5709 Gaps, Gates and Stiles.
British Standard BS5709 Gaps Gates and Stiles came into being in 1979 and was revised in 2006 and 2018. Tom was a key member of the BS Committee which brought this standard into being and has kept it up to date. The Standard requires all who authorize the erection of gates and other furniture to follow the principle of Least Restrictive Access.
In 2023, the Disabled Ramblers brought together their members who were retired engineers to see if they could come up with improved gate designs. Tom was at the forefront of this project, contributing numerous ideas. As a result, several promising designs are being field tested at the Centre for Outdoor Access Training.
In the 2026 New Year’s Honours, Tom was awarded “Medallist of the Order of the British Empire” for services to Outdoor Accessibility to Nature (Watlington, Oxfordshire)
Our thoughts are with Tom’s wife, Gill, and his family, at this difficult time.
John & Liz Cuthbertson
