[nic99]

Was out on my evening dog walk across our fields and discovered some (insert offensive profanity of your choice here) has removed planks of wood from our fencing and used it to make a bridge across a patch of mud. I am so cross, the cheek of some people 
Yes, it is muddy. What do you expect when walking through fields in February?! If you don't want to get mud on your precious shoes, stick to the pavements! You are a guest on our land, please respect our property.
Our land is riddled with rights of way and it is a royal pain in the rear end!
Needless to say, I removed the 'bridge' and we will be nailing it back onto the fence posts at the weekend. Luckily damage to the planks was minimal.
Rant over. I am still cross though.

[happygolucky]

We used to walk near Gartmorn and some one we knew had land around that area and we noticed people take seating and bits of fence to make their fires and bar b ques last, I am sure a lot of people do  not give things like your fence a second thought, its sad but true, most probably young people on quads as they do that in the forest where I walk, certainly makes life harder and I can understand your rant. Young people here love BMX or similar, they take the concrete slabs of the ancient monument to make jumps! and when it snows, they also throw hard snowballs at the old clock! No thought, no value,

[SallyintNorth]

Can only empathise.  I think I can no longer be surprised by what tourists will do - but then they love to prove me wrong....

[happygolucky]

I just remembered how mortified I was to see asbestos waste tipped in the forest, how wonderful and thought ful was that?
 

[in the hills]

That is unbelievable. 


We don't seem to get many "tourists" .... perhaps they don't like Mid Wales. Reading some of the things that go on, I hope they all stay away. Just rude.

[SheepCrazy!]

Oh I'm a young person 22 and would never damage a fence or property or have the cheek to roam across others land I know plenty of old people that would 

[Hassle]

Yes Sheep Crazy I see old and young, able and infirm walk around the edges of fields on the margins, I'll be glad when single farm payment is stopped and I can plough up to the side of hedges.  It's a shame but even when you try to be nice and explain why the margins are there some people are just rude and then when I take my dog for a walk around there garden they threaten me with phoning the police

[Marches Farmer]

Some of them don't think, some of them don't care and some of them resent anyone that's got anything they don't have (however hard they had to work to get it).  Let's face it, some people are just plain horrible and the problem with public footpaths is you have them crossing your land when, given the choice, you wouldn't let them through your front gate.

[Lesley Silvester]

My ex used to worry me when he insisted on walking through fields of grain because the public footpath went that way.  He said that if we went round the edge we would be trespassing.  Maybe we would, but what would a farmer prefer - trampled crops or someone going off the footpath to avoid crops?

[SallyintNorth]

Generally, if the farmer would prefer you to walk through the crop, s/he would flail you a path to follow.  Otherwise it is generally accepted that you would walk around the perimeter, if possible.

[lachlanandmarcus]

In theory the farmer is breaking the law by not flailing the path route to keep it passable, so any comeback from either damaging the crop by using the legal route would be zero, as would any comeback from taking the nearest navigable route to the official one.
my preference would be to walk the paths route so that it is still used, otherwise farmer might argue noone uses it, but if that isnt possible due to crops then the local ROW officer would take that up as its a clear breach of the law.

[happygolucky]

I usualy walk my dogs in a forest but as its been muddy and icy, I have walked in veriouse places along a disused train track but the last time, I noticed sheep at the start of the walk, although my dogs took no notice I turned around and went to a field near the forest that a lot of people use and blow me, it was being ploughed up so I walked around the edge then again turned around.....the farmer keeps the edge rough as it borders the forest, hope I was not trespassing

[SallyintNorth]

In theory the farmer is breaking the law by not flailing the path route to keep it passable, so any comeback from either damaging the crop by using the legal route would be zero, as would any comeback from taking the nearest navigable route to the official one.

I'm not sure that's right, is it?  Just because the farmer is in breach of his/her obligations by not keeping a path clear does not, I thought, give a walker the right to commit a different breach, ie, trespass.  (I used to be Secretary to our local RoW group when I lived in NW Wiltshire, and that's what the rules were in England at that time.)

[Hassle]

You do not have the right to take any navigable route to the official one 

You have permission to use paths and bridleways restricted byways and byways roads used as public path. There is also something called permissible path this is when you have no right but the landowner grants access.

So now you know where you can walk that is the only place you can walk in the countryside be it across crops ploughed land havested land..  so enjoy the countryside and use those routes.

Landowners do have to work agricultural land and crops do grow, and we are allowed time to do these actions. I'm aware that some farmers chose not to quickly spray/ flail routes but if you have a problem you have the right to moan to the council, it is there responsibility to sort it out, they have a whole department to look after it.

Right to roam this is an act from IIRC 2000 it only refers to areas of 'mountain, moor, heath and down' in addition to registered common land; please note not all uncultivated land is covered.  Yes I know the ramblers association would like to publish through the Daily Mail they have won the right to walk everywhere.  But  pastures and grass land that are for cattle and sheep don't automatically become your personal dog walking field, even if the cattle and sheep aren't there!

Grass margins, these are the strips around fields that government pay for.  Grass margins can provide nesting sites for ground-nesting birds such as grey partridges, whitethroats yellowhammers and Corn buntings also insects and mammals these are not sprayed or cultivated and are only tended as per strict rules.  Unfortunately some members of the public believe that this is there personal dog walking route, or the only reason farmers keep them is because of wild partridge, and pheasants.  (admittedly this does have an influence but for the greater good)  However government is strapped for cash we have to pay farmers in Europe to keep pigs in stalls and Tescos HAS to buy it, lucky we don't have a meat scandal!  So the payment to keep this strip of land will now fall to those farmers that want to keep those wild partridge or pheasants the other choice of course crop it and pay off the bank manager, but if the dog walkers or just walkers keep the birds away what option is there.

Finally I'm a dog owner and I have walked many miles across country, in this country and others within the UK and the world, my rant is over. Enjoy the countryside keep your dogs on a lead and your feet where they are supposed to be

[lachlanandmarcus]

In theory the farmer is breaking the law by not flailing the path route to keep it passable, so any comeback from either damaging the crop by using the legal route would be zero, as would any comeback from taking the nearest navigable route to the official one.

I'm not sure that's right, is it?  Just because the farmer is in breach of his/her obligations by not keeping a path clear does not, I thought, give a walker the right to commit a different breach, ie, trespass.  (I used to be Secretary to our local RoW group when I lived in NW Wiltshire, and that's what the rules were in England at that time.)

Thats right, if you notice/read the wording  I purely was discussing the likelihood of there being comeback (ie legal problems) from doing it in reality, given that the farmer was breaking the law by blocking the official route.
I did not say (and would not say) that there was a legal right to follow the alternative route.I did also recommend taking it up with council ROW officer :-)