Please use the countryside responsibly- so fed up

[jacks11]

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!!

@corythatwas In our county there are P3 groups (Parish Paths Partnerships) where volunteers help out the Local Authority in keeping public rights of way cleared/maintained/open - although this is really the duty of the landowner! We replace broken stiles, put up fingerposts and other signage and strim vegetation to keep paths clear so they can be used. This also involves discussions with the landowners (usually, but not always farmers) and as a result it often makes them more accountable for their paths. I assume that this initiative operates in other counties too.

They're doing a great job @bigbluebus

Really appreciate it as a walker.

Yes. We have a Society that co-ordinates this sort of work. We have found them very helpful regarding a couple of fallen trees! We don’t have a chain saw. I think these days, around me, paths are well used and I’m good condition. There are always ones that need a bit of tlc and years ago The Ramblers opened up a lot of neglected paths.

Padlock the gate - contravenes the rules on duties of a landowner with a public right of way on their land. I appreciate how annoying the behaviour of the few is but it doesn't give the landowner the right to break the law either

I've said I am well aware that it is illegal but I am doing it anyway.

Trespassing off the footpath and walking in my paddock is also illegal, but people seem happy to do that anyway.

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

Hester We don't have private businesses, such as farms open to the general public in the United States. Please, please come over here so I can show you how we deal with people like you.

MinnieMountain sorry but in what way have I caused them any financial loss? I walk my dogs everyday in the fields on public footpaths and bridal ways, observing the rules laid down as best as I can, I wish I could say the same about the few law breaking farmers

ZenDay What by walk on public footpaths that I and other people are at rights to do

Bumblingbovine

Oh, stop being an arse! it makes very little difference even when you have signs. Which we do have, by the way.

Actually, the right of way does not go through my garden, the barns/sheep pens, the yard or the stables. To get into my garden they have to go through a gate which is marked “private“. It is a large garden, but is marked adequately non the less.

The right of way has one of those green signs pointing it out. unfortunately, many ignore it in favour of following one of the farm tracks- it goes up into the hills and has great views. When politely asked to keep to the footpath- which as I said is a)sign-posted, b)access is kept clear, and c) gate etc is well maintained- they cite their right to roam as their right to ramble around wherever they choose. But they don’t understand that it doesn’t mean they can go anywhere or do anything they want.

But, thanks for being an arse and assuming that it is our fault people are being idiots. What is your excuse for those not shutting and securing gates that they have passed through? Do you need a sign to tell you to do that too? Or putting their children into the pens or fields to “pat the lambs/ponies”? Or feeding them? You know, despite the signs asking them to keep out the horses field (absolutely no footpaths through or bordering those fields), not to touch them, or to feed them? i have had to put double layer, high voltage electric fencing round the horses fields (again, there are signs), but then some complain even they get an electric shock!

I accept some farmers are deliberately obstructive. However, sometimes it’s because they are fed up of the damage and extra work, not to mention financial losses, incurred every year without fail...... ok, it’s by a (increasingly significant) minority, but we can’t tell who will and won’t be responsible users.

Add to that quite a few of these people should not be exercising here because they are not local and must have driven.

www.farminguk.com/news/coronavirus-farmer-punched-15-times-after-telling-walker-to-go-home_55282.html

Trespass is not criminal. So it’s not ilkewgwl in that you can be arrested for doing it. It’s civil law which means the landowner must take the trespasser to court. It’s usually not worth the faff! Or the cost. That’s why trying to stop people wandering about is best.

I cannot believe what I am reading. The sheer level of entitlement by folk who see free access as their god given right.

And as for putting cutesy signs up... a local land owner has put up the attached sign politely asking cyclists to avoid cycling through a particular area temporarily, and all they’ve gotten is dogs abuse by people demanding to know the legality of the request, and insisting that they can cycle straight though a flock of lambing ewes and not cause any upset.

Nope. Can't see anything there that might lead to landowners and farmers getting irritated and adversarial, oooh, goodness me no. . .

No real suggestions other than putting up big signs to explain:
it's private land
Lambs aren't toys
Close the gates

We live near a large country estate. The public footpaths go right through their garden, past their lake and horses and sheep. They've had similar problems.

I would hate the lack of privacy.

Wow didn't RTFT... ignore my post 😳

In 2004, the CROW act gave additional rights of access often dubbed "right to roam" into upland areas which again are shaded on maps and marked at access points.

There are some moorland areas near where I live which are now 'access land', but they are clearly signed at the gates that no dogs are allowed - because ground nesting and game birds, I assume. So, obviously we don't take our dog up there - but quite a lot of people ignore the signs.

Putting signs up doesn't seem to work as well as some people naively think, unfortunately.

I'm starting to understand how all the fatal cow tramplings happen. I did wonder.

Even people who aren't idiots can come a cropper with cows. They're enormous and can run faster than a person. We've learned never to plan a circular walk if there's any chance of coming across cows that we don't want to go by, unless there's alternatives or we would have time to retrace our steps.

moita But people buy the house with the footpath there, why buy it if you don't want people rightly walking on the footpath?

Well hang on hester, a while ago, according to you, they'd all inherited the houses, from time immemorial. . .

But people buy the house with the footpath there, why buy it if you don't want people rightly walking on the footpath?

I don't mind people walking on the footpath normally. For some reason CV has brought out the idiots. That's why I locked it.

Hester54

Well, in Scotland it’s a lot more complicated than footpaths/rights of way and not buying/selling if you don’t like them- due to right to roam. As I said, this right is often misinterpreted as “I can go anywhere and do anything I like”. As you’ll no doubt be aware, some people inherit the farm or buy what they can afford- or buy thinking the footpath is fine but later find out that it is anything but! Or, like us, would not have an issue with people walking on the footpath if everyone could act responsibly when accessing our land (and it is our land, not publicly owned land- the public have right if access only). It is my DH’s livelihood, not a playground. The livestock should be able to graze in peace without being harassed by walkers and/or their dogs and children. My horses are not our livelihood but they deserve to be treated with respect and not to be fed things which endanger their health. Or to be put in danger by the gates being left open etc. I genuinely do not understand what is so difficult to understand or is controversial about any if that?

I imagine most people would not like it if I and my family went into your garden for a picnic (especially at the moment), left our rubbish or went into your garden shed and rooted around? If you work (no idea if you do) and I went into your place of work and damaged the premises/ equipment/ what is manufactured or sold there etc and your employer made you pay for it out of your wages then you would be furious? Or if you were/are the business owner, you wouldn’t be pleased at having to pay for the damage/loss of income and the inconvenience of sorting it out? Or maybe you would shrug your shoulders and say “well it was just one person being daft”? And if it happened multiple times per year? I seriously doubt you’d be so blasé.

In our county there are P3 groups (Parish Paths Partnerships) where volunteers help out the Local Authority in keeping public rights of way cleared/maintained/open - although this is really the duty of the landowner! We replace broken stiles, put up fingerposts and other signage and strim vegetation to keep paths clear so they can be used. This also involves discussions with the landowners (usually, but not always farmers) and as a result it often makes them more accountable for their paths. I assume that this initiative operates in other counties too.

See, this seems like a constructive way of trying to ensure the preservation of a very old tradition. Unlike some other attitudes, that fail to describe the way they could help ensure preservation, instead of whinging that the Farmer is such a mean, rich bastard who should be making their lives easier. . .

I've had a nightmare with walkers and loose dogs getting into my paddocks with my horses. One, a particularly highly strung TB that won't think twice about double barrelling you in the head!

When challenged these walkers were 'lost' although they managed to scale my post and tail fencing and bypass the electric fence.

Upsetting my horses, thinking its funny watching them run around like lunatics. Broken legs are not funny 😡

Just fuck off.

mbosnz not everyone obviously

jacks11 I can appreciate your problems, but as someone that never does that type of thing, I just find that some of the farmers are straight on the offensive and sometimes in a intimidating manor, when you’ve done nothing wrong, why judge everyone the same.