To think you should actually be able to access the countryside by foot if you live in it?

[PickledPlums]

DH and I are at loggerheads about a house. We found a lovely large country house that ticks all the boxes except one big one. You can't actually walk anywhere as there are no pavements and no footpaths. It's on an A road so I can't imagine walking along there would be safe. We have dogs that we walk every day and we enjoy walking ourselves. In order to walk the dogs we will need to drive somewhere every day. We currently live in a city and just walk out the door and to the park/woods. AIBU to think this is a deal breaker? The house just seems a bit like an island.

This is something I have frequently noticed, that often it's easier to access green and wild space right here in London where I live. I've been caravanning a few times and wanted to go out running in the morning. Difficult if not near impossible to find a route! It's often winding, so not particularly safe roads and fields with no right of access on either side.

If it is unfenced meadows, then you can put on sturdy boots and walk over it. That's not comfortable, but claiming you cannot access the countryside is a bit exaggerated in that case.

This is absolutely NOT true. You have no right to access land that does not belong to you unless there is a public right of way, and even then you must only stick to the given route.

If it is unfenced meadows, then you can put on sturdy boots and walk over it. That's not comfortable, but claiming you cannot access the countryside is a bit exaggerated in that case.

This is absolutely NOT true. You have no right to access land that does not belong to you unless there is a public right of way, and even then you must only stick to the given route.

If it is unfenced meadows, then you can put on sturdy boots and walk over it. That's not comfortable, but claiming you cannot access the countryside is a bit exaggerated in that case.

This is absolutely NOT true. You have no right to access land that does not belong to you unless there is a public right of way, and even then you must only stick to the given route.

This is absolutely NOT true. You have no right to access land that does not belong to you unless there is a public right of way, and even then you must only stick to the given route.

To be fair, it probably depends where the OP is. Right to roam is different in Scotland than England, where you are pretty much limited to public or permissive footpaths.

Hell would freeze over before I bought this house.

I wouldn't buy it.

I could happily live in the middle of nowhere, but I would want to be able to go for a walk in the immediate countryside. I'd feel so claustrophobic and frustrated otherwise, unless I had acres of my own (I wish!)

I think if you have dogs or like walking, you need at least one 'round the block' type route that you can do without a car.

Unless this house is eceptionally cheap (due to the road maybe) I would guess that you can find another house that will suit you both.

I want to be able to walk the dog by walking out the door. DH says we are going to have to drive at least one maybe both kids to school (next door is boys only). He reckons we would stop somewhere to let the dogs run after the school run. The house itself has about an acre of land but my experience is that dogs don't exercise themselves no matter how big the garden.

The house certainly isn't cheap in absolute terms but is probably undervalued because it's in a right state. The A road isn't really issue because there will be a house between us and the road (yet to be built). It is in the catchment for a fabulous local primary for baby DD someday and a boys prep right next door that might suit DS. To be honest I think DH has been blinded by the prospect of a pool! I have reminded him that this summer hasn't exactly been representative of summers past!

I have a similar situation. We moved to the countryside and I thought it would be great for dog walking and also for getting our for a run. Actually, we were better off in the burbs for both. The next village is only two miles away but I can't even walk the dogs to there as there's no pavement, just a fast road with lorries thundering by. To give the dogs a decent walk I have to put them in the car first. And my running is restricted to the gym treadmill! So I don't think you are BU, you've got to think about your lifestyle and what you want to do.

A lot of places in the countryside won't have pavements on the roads but in most places you only need to walk along the road for a bit to find safe footpaths. I'd have a look at local OS maps as you may have some great walks just nearby. Alternatively go visit and explore!

Personally I love the countryside but enjoy living on the edge of a village. We can walk to the shop/pub (takes about 10 mins or so) but some of the way there is no footpath - just have to take extra care and move onto the bank when a car comes. There are hundreds of fantastic walks we can access nearby but almost all will involve a little bit of roadside walking (note to self - must take more advantage of them!)

PS Obviously roadside walking on a busy dual carriageway would not be ideal!

Link to the house!? (pretty please!)

I wouldn't buy it. We lived in a tiny village. We could walk to the other end of the village (less than 1km end to end) but that was it. The roads out of the village were too dangerous to walk on- narrow, often dry stone walled, tight bends, people driving fast. There were footpaths but the fields they went through often had scary livestock in and electric fencing so no go for dogs. We have sight hounds and they cant manage styles so that was a problem too. There were also places where you had to unhook a manual section of an electric fence using a little plastic handhold in order to follow the public right of way and that was f*ing terrifying, especially with a worried dog hopping round your feet.

Ironically we now live in a market town and can walk easily into beautiful, walker-friendly countryside from the door.

Yanbu. I couldn't live anywhere so isolated that I had to use the car for everything.

This is something I often ponder when we're out in the sticks and see a lovely house. The kids don't appear to have neighbourhood kids to play with, I guess they're driven around a lot.

Same here! Was just talking to DP about this the other day. In many ways we ARE lucky where we live (ie peace, lack of traffic as no real road etc), but not ideal
We live v rurally, not a village, not a hamlet, just houses plonked at edge of a private country estate. Live in a smallish falling apart (quite literally) bungalow. It's a long drive leading to where we are, it really is quite remote . We are surrounded by fields in every direction.. about 12 miles either way. But where we are, we are basically trespassing to walk in the countryside, so we drive elsewhere for a 'proper' walk.
Here I do walk but only at the side of crop fields (farmer does allow this; this is where dog walkers go and riders) and through a big meadow that no one uses but is private. I did start walking around the horses paddocks (lots here) but horse owners (who don't own the fields) ordered me out as can only do that if wearing a riding hat. So, it's very limiting. Saving grace is a tiny private wood, which is great to sit in (and for my cat to explore/climb trees) but somewhat ruined when everyone lets their dogs crap there.
Oh and the common misconception is that, living in the middle of the sticks, DP and I must have an amazing garden! We have none, just a scrubby shared backyard, that we don't use, it's full of other people's crap, no privacy and basically unusable

We have to drive everywhere
Takeaways won't deliver here, although maybe that's a good thing!
When I wasn't allowed to drive (injury) and DP was away for weeks (in winter) I nearly went insane!
I lived in London before and do miss some of the noise and life
There are only two kids live here.. a baby and a teenager. I have no kids but sometimes miss the everyday noise
I don't fit in at all. It's very conservative, some neighbours own race horses, and hunt etc. I'm totally skint and job hunting and a vegetarian as is DP (who is working)
I would like to move but try and count blessings when I think of the chaos and pollution of London
I've only been here 3 yrs, DP 15, but he is happy here though we'll have to move in about 5 yr

Check an OS map carefully, but I wouldn't do it, would be very annoying to have to drive to walk the dogs, you need at least one walk you can do from your front door!

Most non-standard houses have some kind of tradeoff ... it depends what's most important to you. We are also right on an A road, not massively busy as in rural Scotland, but fields all around, and best of all we are alone, at least a mile to the next house in each direction. There is some pavement but not pleasant to walk on an A road. We have 2 acres to walk in, which is enough for us, and best of all no neighbours, no people noise, no barking dogs etc. So - for us the A road is worth the otherwise very private setting. I'd prefer to be down a quiet lane, but then you have the problems of ice/snow/no maintenance too. It also depends how long you want to wait for the right place. We'd already waited for a few years while renting. Sounds like this place you describe is not suitable for you as the lack of walking opportunities outweighs the positives.

We used to live in the suburbs and due to all the traffic, litter and broken glass everywhere we would drive the dogs to places to walk every day. We moved to a village and our lives changed so much - our lane is a dead end into a bridleway and we can walk the dogs for miles, and also run and cycle from home.

My friend lives on the main road into the village and has to use the car for everything as it's not safe to walk. Unless I could access walks from my door I wouldn't move there.

If you have DCs having to drive everywhere is a PITA. Unless it is on a bus route you will be doomed to taxi driving until they can drive themselves. This is bad enough when they are young but even worse when they get older and want to go out in the evening as you will have to stay up and collect them (rural taxi services in my experience are almost non existent).

In addition in the winter it is quite likely that it will be really dark so even if you do find a way of walking to civilisation - say across the golf course it will be difficult.

I moved from Manchester to rural North Yorkshire. Don't fucking do it! 😩😂😡

Amazed that so many people will have driven through rural areas and not noticed that there are no pavements!
You will have public footpaths near probably but depending on the time of year. you will not be able to let the dogs off the lead because of livestock and throwing a ball to chase is better in a park.
You will be dependant on a car as there is more and port rurally either and you should only look for houses in the countryside in winter when you can be practical about it instead of being seated by the summer greenery.
I love living rurally but it is not the idil some imagine.

Deal breaker for me, I'd hate to not be able to walk to a shop - as much for the company as anything else. But then that's why I wouldn't want to live in the countryside. It can be very isolating.

See where the footpaths are. Bing Maps has an Ordnance Survey Map option which is really useful.

A lot of people are fine with no pedestrian access. They never want to walk if they can avoid it, anyway.

I'm not one of them, either. Would always choose where to live in basis of being able to walk, cycle & use public transport to get to lots of useful places. Good luck with your house-hunting.

That's country living. No pavements, few street lights out in the sticks. Sounds like a market town might be better for you. Access on foot to shop/library/bus stop/pub, probable access to footpaths.