How many of you block rights of way?

[steveR]

I'm nice to the ones that are nice to me.

I had a muscle bunny, go crazy because I asked him to return to the path. He said I was picking on him because he was gay, that I was messing with the wrong man, that he was capable of anything, then picked up a big walling topper & threatened to put it through the tractor wind screen, I got out (holding a new sharp turnip knife) and told him to get on with it. He left holding his head screaming stop picking on me.

I get swore at most days. But every walker who is on the path (the dog on a lead) I smile at them & say Hello.

Sounds like the steroids were messing him up......

 

[davidroberts30]

Sounds like the steroids were messing him up......

To many protein drinks

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Sounds like the steroids were messing him up......

roid rage

 

[neilo]

I'm nice to the ones that are nice to me.

I had a muscle bunny, go crazy because I asked him to return to the path. He said I was picking on him because he was gay, that I was messing with the wrong man, that he was capable of anything, then picked up a big walling topper & threatened to put it through the tractor wind screen, I got out (holding a new sharp turnip knife) and told him to get on with it. He left holding his head screaming stop picking on me.

I get swore at most days. But every walker who is on the path (the dog on a lead) I smile at them & say Hello.

That’s just the approach we adopt. We are both polite and ‘nice’, right up until the point where we’re not. You really have to wonder what’s wrong with some folk tbh.

Not been confronted by a stone as a weapon yet, likely only because we don’t have any walls here, but had several with fists ready and spitting with rage. You can’t back down in that scenario though, imo.
None of them haven’t backed down when confronted by someone that appeared ‘up for it’, and none have ever been seen on the farm since.

 

[Devil's advocate]

That’s just the approach we adopt. We are both polite and ‘nice’, right up until the point where we’re not. You really have to wonder what’s wrong with some folk tbh.

Not been confronted by a stone as a weapon yet, likely only because we don’t have any walls here, but had several with fists ready and spitting with rage. You can’t back down in that scenario though, imo.
None of them haven’t backed down when confronted by someone that appeared ‘up for it’, and none have ever been seen on the farm since.

Not seen the muscle bunny again.

But do have aggressive regulars. Plus these nutters with cameras, if a wall is down taking pictures of it and climbing over it trying to make new paths or any gate left open or a twig on a path.

Thats the other thing, a twig on a path everyone is 10 foot into the crop. Slight gap in a hedge, they are off through it claiming it as a forgotten right of way.

 

[Renaultman]

roid rage

Ooh Cerys (oops damn my dyslexia) But still 'ooh Cerys.'

 

[Squid]

According to radio 4, due to lack of council funding farmers are routinly blocking rights of way at least 33,000 cases of this.

Personally I'm finding the opposite that my walls, fences, gates & ditches are often vandalised & that tresspassing is endemic.

Thankfully I'm in a posh area in some parts of South Yorkshire it is worse.

I am a walker and tbh, I find the prows a disgrace on farmland. I don’t like to trespass but am constantly finding them overgrown in the summer, no direct/ flattened path on crop fields and hidden or no way marks at all.
One farmer informed me I shouldn’t be walking on this area of his land, I answered him calmly and politely…….That there was no P Footpath signage, the route across the field was completely inaccessible and that the only way through was to walk round the edge of his field. Basically sort it out of I will have no other choice than to walk this route.

 

[Squid]

According to radio 4, due to lack of council funding farmers are routinly blocking rights of way at least 33,000 cases of this.

Personally I'm finding the opposite that my walls, fences, gates & ditches are often vandalised & that tresspassing is endemic.

Thankfully I'm in a posh area in some parts of South Yorkshire it is worse.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Never

 

[essex man]

I am a walker and tbh, I find the prows a disgrace on farmland. I don’t like to trespass but am constantly finding them overgrown in the summer, no direct/ flattened path on crop fields and hidden or no way marks at all.
One farmer informed me I shouldn’t be walking on this area of his land, I answered him calmly and politely…….That there was no P Footpath signage, the route across the field was completely inaccessible and that the only way through was to walk round the edge of his field. Basically sort it out of I will have no other choice than to walk this route.

That's trespassing.
It's your responsibility to know where the path is.
Not the farmer's.
If there is crop blocking the path then complain to the council, who will get straight on to farmer.
If it is overgrown with non crop vegetation then that is the council's responsibility.

 

[Wood field]

As an avid mountain walker before my knees feked up, I found the lowland field paths the worst to navigate on the way up to the tops,
A polite hello to the farmer was all that was needed, never in all honesty had a problem, stick to the route and learn to read a map !

 

[Hindsight]

That's trespassing.
It's your responsibility to know where the path is.
Not the farmer's.
If there is crop blocking the path then complain to the council, who will get straight on to farmer.
If it is overgrown with non crop vegetation then that is the council's responsibility.

Public rights of way: landowner responsibilities

As the owner or occupier of land with a public right of way across it, you must keep the route visible and not obstruct or endanger users.

www.gov.uk

 

[Hindsight]

Public rights of way: landowner responsibilities

As the owner or occupier of land with a public right of way across it, you must keep the route visible and not obstruct or endanger users.

www.gov.uk

Legal responsibilities on rights of way

Legal responsibilities of the public, landowners and occupiers and Nottinghamshire County Council on rights of way

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk

 

[Pilatus]

I am a walker and tbh, I find the prows a disgrace on farmland. I don’t like to trespass but am constantly finding them overgrown in the summer, no direct/ flattened path on crop fields and hidden or no way marks at all.
One farmer informed me I shouldn’t be walking on this area of his land, I answered him calmly and politely…….That there was no P Footpath signage, the route across the field was completely inaccessible and that the only way through was to walk round the edge of his field. Basically sort it out of I will have no other choice than to walk this route.

@Squid .
As a new member please could you tell us whether you live in the country or a town.
It’s always good to have feed back from towns people as to how they imagine the country side should be,compared to the real countryside which farmers have created over generations.
Unlike developers who decimate wild life and farmland as land is swallowed up for houses, roads etc at an alarming rate.
Slightly off topic.
I can’t understand why a few people walk in the countryside with ear muffs on or whatever they’re called presumably listening to music,some are continuously on the phone and some are chatting continuously, not surprising they don’t hear the birds singing, and then have the audacity to complain about the lack of song birds
One other thing,how would townspeople, village people who have gardens like it if TFF members suddenly arrived unannounced and started to walk around the house owner’s garden, I think they would get rather irate.
A farm is a big garden “ stick to the public footpaths and enjoy the sounds of the country side,”
I do wish that when people walk in the countryside they where appropriate footwear for mud etc rather than wear trainers or similar and moan about how wet / muddy it is. For goodness sake they’re in the countryside, if they don’t like it stay at home

 

[Hindsight]

That's trespassing.
It's your responsibility to know where the path is.
Not the farmer's.
If there is crop blocking the path then complain to the council, who will get straight on to farmer.
If it is overgrown with non crop vegetation then that is the council's responsibility.

The Notts County Council note is helpful

Legal responsibilities on rights of way

Legal responsibilities of the public, landowners and occupiers and Nottinghamshire County Council on rights of way

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk

 

[essex man]

The Notts County Council note is helpful

Legal responsibilities on rights of way

Legal responsibilities of the public, landowners and occupiers and Nottinghamshire County Council on rights of way

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk

Mmm i fulfill all my obligations, i would say 50% of the public do the same.

The Notts County Council note is helpful

Legal responsibilities on rights of way

Legal responsibilities of the public, landowners and occupiers and Nottinghamshire County Council on rights of way

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk

Council guide doesn't mention dogs which is unhelpful

 

[snarling bee]

Permission for a sand and gravel locally was blocked on the grounds that it would merely spoil the view from a RoW. Permission for a conservatory on the back of a house near a RoW was blocked because the ramblers complained it spoiled the view. Occupier had to tear it down. Same has happened with phone masts, solar panels etc. The subjective sensitivities of a rambler passing once in a while overrules the needs of landowners and residents as far as West Lindsey DC is concerned.

We had solar park permission turned down as it blocked the view. I said is there anything to stop me planting trees there, which would block the view. The answer was 'No'.
Belt of trees is now being seriously considered on a matter of principal.

 

[Hindsight]

Mmm i fulfill all my obligations, i would say 50% of the public do the same.
Council guide doesn't mention dogs which is unhelpful

Hi, agree majority of public I feel around our village respect and follow the public footpaths but it is the dogs EM that is the problem. Afraid they wander at will and it is because we (I am a member of the general public as I own no land, other than the plot our house is on, and am not a farmer) come to regard the great outdoors as one large public park. No idea how to resolve that afraid. I kinda assume Notts Council staff who drew up what I thought are helpful guidelines and advice chose to skirt around the issue of dogs! I can understand why!!

 

[essex man]

Hi, agree majority of public I feel around our village respect and follow the public footpaths but it is the dogs EM that is the problem. Afraid they wander at will and it is because we (I am a member of the general public as I own no land, other than the plot our house is on, and am not a farmer) come to regard the great outdoors as one large public park. No idea how to resolve that afraid. I kinda assume Notts Council staff who drew up what I thought are helpful guidelines and advice chose to skirt around the issue of dogs! I can understand why!!

Yep, the majority are walking dogs here, yet no mention!
"Walking" dogs for some involves throwing sticks/balls into crops for them to fetch/not fetch.
Parcels of sh!t dropped handily inside irrigation hydrant markers.
Dogs running hundreds of metres in circles in crops
Some call them when they see me, some continue until spoken to.
Not sure which approach i prefer.

 

[tepapa]

I am a walker and tbh, I find the prows a disgrace on farmland. I don’t like to trespass but am constantly finding them overgrown in the summer, no direct/ flattened path on crop fields and hidden or no way marks at all.
One farmer informed me I shouldn’t be walking on this area of his land, I answered him calmly and politely…….That there was no P Footpath signage, the route across the field was completely inaccessible and that the only way through was to walk round the edge of his field. Basically sort it out of I will have no other choice than to walk this route.

A lot of that'll be councils problem not the farmers. But with an ordinance survey map it's usually fairly straight forward to follow a path even without markers. The orange maps have greater details and easier to see landmarks and fences/field shapes.