Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Please use the countryside responsibly- so fed up

530 replies

jacks11 · 11/04/2020 20:20

On a rare day off from my day job, I have once again spent the day dealing with a series of thoughtless and/or completely entitled idiots behaving totally irresponsibly on our land. I had thought the one (very small) silver lining of this awful situation would be that this lambing season would see us free from so many problems from people out for a walk etc. But still having issues.

Today I stopped no fewer than 7 families traipsing through either the yard, our garden (one family stopping to have a seat on the picnic table/bench in our garden) or the lambing sheds to have a look. One family also stopped off to admire the lambs in one of the fields then preceded to take there youngish children (under 10) into said fields to see them closer. Several gates left open, people climbing over gates etc. I caught someone feeding our old pony apples and a doughnut! We’ve had rubbish being dropped. Dogs off leads etc.

What I cannot understand is how so many are getting to us- they must be breaching the guidance to only exercise locally or walking at least 7 miles from the nearest village. Which I doubt with the ages of some of the children.

When DH politely approached the family in our garden they were really rude, citing their “right to roam”- not even slightly apologetic when pointed out they were in our garden so they had no right to be there. Ditto several other people- don’t seem to realise right to roam does not apply to private gardens or land used for commercial reasons- I.e. yards/lambing sheds and you must behave responsibly (e.g. close gates, don’t let dogs off leads near livestock, don’t leave rubbish, don’t worry livestock, don’t walk across crops etc).

When you add in the situation with Covid, you’d think people would be careful about touching gates etc unnecessarily- but no. Lots of people have vulnerable family members and this is just an added headache- having to constantly be aware that people may have touched the gates/railings/doors etc.

Please use the countryside responsibly- some of us live on the land you are using as a playground. You are putting our livestock at risk- please don’t feed livestock/horses for that reason- and sometimes yourself in danger. There is no excuse for leaving rubbish.

Rant over!!

OP posts:
mbosnz · 12/04/2020 15:49

I now await being told to calm the fuck down. . . Grin

Hester54 · 12/04/2020 15:52

Scrowy sorry I didn't know you only had one field, with your attitude its know wonder walkers don't like farmers,

mbosnz · 12/04/2020 15:52

The farmer has the right to place his stock wherever he feels it is best placed on his land, without notice.

You do not have the right to assume that just because there was no stock there this time last year, that there will not be stock there this year, nor to require notice.

You do have the responsibility to ensure that when exercising your right of way over the farmer's land, wherein they are farming valuable crops and livestock, to ensure that your dog cannot and will not in any way, shape or form, upset or jeopardise crops or livestock.

ErrolTheDragon · 12/04/2020 15:55

I can asure you there has been no stock in these fields since last year.

So? Did you think the farmer has that field just because they like grass? ConfusedThe longer a field has been without stock, the greater the probability is that it's due to have some put in it.

Hester54 · 12/04/2020 15:55

mbosnz yes you should, if you have that attitude when you meet walkers no wonder you upset them, perhaps you should look for a new job if its to stressful for you, Big income drop I expect

Hester54 · 12/04/2020 15:57

ErrolTheDragon And of course all walkers know farmers every move

ZenDay · 12/04/2020 15:57

As someone who farms I find these threads really upsetting. I can't imagine how awful it is.

If someone get's hurt on your property could you be in trouble?

I'm in the western U.S. and our house sits in the middle of about a 1,000 acres we own. We deal with trespassers very differently here. If someone was on our crop land or out in the pastures we would ask them what they were doing and tell them to leave right away. If someone was (without permission) around our outbuildings, machine shop, equipment or god help them in my garden, we contact the sheriff and they'd be arrested for trespassing.

Our house is about 1/2 a mile from the county road in a very remote rural agricultural area so it would be very unusual to see anyone on our property. That said, if I saw someone in my garden I'd know they were up to no good and I'd call 911 as I loaded my gun. I'd hold the bastards at gun point until the sheriff showed up.

Needless to say we don't have an on-going problem with farmland trespassers around here except in hunting season when hunters act like urban Brits in a pandemic, although they keep away from our land though as my reputation precedes me.

Hester54 · 12/04/2020 15:58

mbosnz just saying how helpful for all if a notice could be put up, not to much to ask is it?

Healthyandhappy · 12/04/2020 15:58

You can shoot the dogs of they are trespassing on your land scaring your wildlife. Farmers can shoot

ErrolTheDragon · 12/04/2020 15:58

its know wonder walkers don't like farmers

I'm a walker. I've never had any problem with farmers. There's nothing wrong with the 'attitude' (reasonable statements ) of farmers posting on this thread. Only with idiots who won't behave responsibly in the countryside.There's no excuse for it.

Purpletigers · 12/04/2020 15:59

Boss 😂

sunnydaysagain · 12/04/2020 16:00

I'm really hoping that Hester is trolling; but unfortunately I don't think they are. Most farmers I know are asset rich but cash poor; very few farmers are loaded. Many have sold up due to the long hours and very low income. They work really hard and we need them. More so now.

So for those who are still toiling the long hours to keep us fed - thank you

Purpletigers · 12/04/2020 16:00

Hester - farmers are not going to put up a notice when it is assumed that walkers can see .

Hester54 · 12/04/2020 16:01

ZenDay I can fully understand farmers getting upset if people are going where the shouldn't, but a lot of them get upset by people just being on public walk ways, and as you can read want to pad lock gates, chuck slurry at them etc etc, just for walking on a path they are aloud to be on.

mbosnz · 12/04/2020 16:02

mbosnz yes you should, if you have that attitude when you meet walkers no wonder you upset them, perhaps you should look for a new job if its to stressful for you, Big income drop I expect

LOL, huge assumption you're making there mate! I'm not a farmer. And if I met a walker with your attitudes, I'm pretty bloody certain I'd upset them. Do you watch any of the news articles about the suicide rate amongst farmers, or about just how close to the bone their profit margin is? You don't have a clue, just an equal chip on both shoulders.

I'm actually a 'townie', but I was brought up rural, in a country where you learned fast to respect ownership rights, crops and stock. I have tremendous respect for people growing the produce that the country exports, and that also keeps us all fed.

ErrolTheDragon · 12/04/2020 16:02

And of course all walkers know farmers every move

No, of course not. What a silly thing to say. I know that the purpose of pastures is for stock. So I know that it's my responsibility to keep my dog 100% under control unless I'm 100% sure that the field is empty. Whether it was empty in the past is completely irrelevant.

mbosnz · 12/04/2020 16:05

if a notice could be put up, not to much to ask is it?

Have explained why yes, yes it is.

Not too much to ask that people keep their mutts on a leash, though, on land that is not their own. And how many walkers would be too thick to read it, or arrogant to look for it or take heed of it. . .

You can shoot the dogs of they are trespassing on your land scaring your wildlife. Farmers can shoot

Hopefully they've got better aim than me. If I aimed for the dog, I'd be more likely to get the owner. . . Grin

Scrowy · 12/04/2020 16:06

just saying how helpful for all if a notice could be put up, not to much to ask is it?

It actually is.

during lambing time some farmers are existing on 3-4 hours sleep a night for weeks. They barely have time to eat at times particularly if the weather is bad. The entire years income depends on that few weeks in spring and it's an immensely stressful time.

But you want us to take some time out to sit and make signs so you don't have to think for yourself? I'm not sure you can get much more entitled than that really.

Tonyaster · 12/04/2020 16:07

I don't believe Hester is telling the truth. I don't believe she's been anywhere near a farm, let alone wandering around arguing with farmers with her dogs off lead and a pair of bolt cutters in her back pocket 😂😂

mbosnz · 12/04/2020 16:09

I don't believe Hester is telling the truth. I don't believe she's been anywhere near a farm, let alone wandering around arguing with farmers with her dogs off lead and a pair of bolt cutters in her back pocket

We can sincerely hope. . . Grin

Purpletigers · 12/04/2020 16:10

Subsidies are given so that farmers will continue to farm even if they’re working long hours for less than mw. They have assets which have been passed down through generations, ( not sold off and split between sibling like houses ) , many farming children will forgo any inheritance in order to prevent the sale of the family farm and to ensure it all remains intact for the next generation. I’m one of them .
The government have to be able to feed the population, paying farmers to farm when they are doing so for little reward is why you have subsidies . Most farmers don’t care if the subsidies go , the price of food will increase to make up their loss.
A nation that relies too heavily on imported food can quickly run into huge problems , just look at what happened in the supermarket within a week of Covid 19 . The one thing that we all still need to buy during this disaster is food . Nothing else ! Those of you having a go at farmers should have a serious think about what you would do without them .

mbosnz · 12/04/2020 16:13

Purpletigers, when we were here during the ravages of Mad Cow Disease, I could swear at one point Tony Blair mooted turning the whole of the UK into a national park, doing away with farming altogether?

Purpletigers · 12/04/2020 16:14

No one would chuck slurry at a walker . They’d spread it on or close to the footpath to discourage them from starting .
I now have visions of giant slurry filled nerf guns 😂

Purpletigers · 12/04/2020 16:20

These bigs ideas of importing cheaper food when everything is rosy is all very good . And then the shit hits the fan . The crops in the exporting country fail and the surplus they used to sell to us is needed for their own people .
We should be very wary of what we wish for . A nation that loses the ability to feed its people is in an extremely vulnerable position .

MaxNormal · 12/04/2020 16:24

hester your attitude is stinking.

I am normally grateful that we dont have US style gun laws here in the UK, but there are times...