To just ask you all to either wear some proper wellies and walk on the footpath, or stick to the sodding pavements

[flamingflamingos]

This is my field. It's winter wheat - it's been ploughed and pressed and drilled and rolled and just as it's starting to grow into what will be harvested for flour to produce bread, the general public have trampled it into the ground.

I understand the need to get outside, absolutely I support this country's network of footpaths - we have 6km of footpaths on this farm which are maintained so that everyone can enjoy the countryside.

But this is taking the piss. If you don't want to walk in the mud, don't walk in the countryside in January. Please, stop this. We are all accountable for how we behave.

Ok GreenlandTheMovie well I guess we've walked in different areas. The British countryside is quite varied. I've done a lot of walking in many parts of Britain, lowland and upland, England, Scotland and Wales and these walled-in corridors you describe strike me as very unusual. Where have you come across these? I can only really visualise old greenways, bridleways, or farm tracks that double as footpaths, that look like that.

The vast majority of lowland footpaths I've walked, go through farmed fields, be that arable, more usually grazed or grass without animals grazing at that moment. Usually they go along the edge of the field, sometimes across the middle.

I do think footpath usage is basically common sense. Be careful, be aware of your surroundings, avoid causing harm.

Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Anywhere there's hill sheep. Parts of Cornwall too.

Surrey and the home counties are full of fenced in rights of way running across peoples' precious horse padfocks.

Large areas of those counties are unfenced
Saying "precious" horse paddocks could be misinterpreted as snide

@NailsNeedDoing

All business have costs. It’s up to individual farmers whether they want to pay for fencing or if they want to pay for any lost crop. On the whole, they probably sensibly choose the former, but then they need to deal with it when we have unprecedented years where everyone is forced to go on spaced out walks.

Firstly, they shouldn’t have to put them up just because people are too ignorant to understand the basics of being granted a right of way.

Secondly, have you seen the OP’s post where she HAS put up fencing a long that part (which she shouldn’t have to do), to find that less than 24 hours later it’s been ripped up and tossed in a pile? And from other posts on here, this isn’t uncommon.

Despite multiple people explaining, very clearly, what the rights are, why fencing is a problem e5c, I’m amazed by some of the responses on here. I’ve seen, I think, two people who’ve said that they wouldn’t have even considered the problems that may be caused by people using such footpaths - and that this has helped educate them and that they’d modify behaviour/read up more etc. The rest of the “but, but, but” responses therefore show wilful ignorance and entitlement. A perfect show of the selfish “I’m alright” and me, me, me culture.

I know two wrongs don’t make a right, but I’d happily get a few people together to spend 10 months traipsing across their gardens, dumping dog shit and litter, then see if they felt any differently.

@NailsNeedDoing

All business have costs. It’s up to individual farmers whether they want to pay for fencing or if they want to pay for any lost crop. On the whole, they probably sensibly choose the former, but then they need to deal with it when we have unprecedented years where everyone is forced to go on spaced out walks.

Why isn't it up to individual walkers to behave like responsible, decent people and not walk all over farmers crops?

No one is "forced to go on spaced out walks" across other peoples crops. There are options - taking a different route, going at less busy times, investing in waterproof boots and sticking to the paths. Farmers do not have an option to move their crops.

Also, did you see where the OP said that they had paid for fencing and someone had ripped it up? So they tried your "sensible" option and now you think that they should just pay for their lost crop? Just so walkers don't have to stick to the paths? Unbelievably selfish.

One farmer near us has fenced off the field that contains horses, so the footpath runs between the hedge and a wire fence. Amazingly, every so often, the fence is cut with wire cutters. And, of course, people still feed the horses and drop loads of litter.

I guess he didn't think to put up a sign saying don't use wire cutters.

@midgebabe

Large areas of those counties are unfenced Saying "precious" horse paddocks could be misinterpreted as snide

Well, indeed they might be, but I think you'll find that sheep, even hill sheep, are contained at some point or other and it's dependent on season.

God forbid I should be I received as snide!! I actually think fencing our precious paddocks is a great idea, and I find it a bit inexplicable why farmers can't also fund it themselves, as we all have landaibyensve costs, and theirs is tax deductible whilstine isn't!

The reason the OP doesn't use permanent fencing is because large machinery is used on the field in question and it would make it more difficult to turn. There might be a slight reduction in yield if permanent fencing were introduced, andodern farming is all about maximising yield and avoiding pesky awkward corners or angles that large machinery can't get into or which make turning difficult.

These issues weren't present when most rights of way were originally established.

I haven't walked through many 'precious horse paddocks'. Have encountered many a hill sheep, on hills. Maybe less so in their fields, that's true.

I've even walked on footpaths that go through people's gardens. Weird but true. Did we spread out, wander about as if we owned the place and trample their flowers? No. We walked through as quickly and quietly as possible, thinking what a disruption it must be to have people striding past your window!

@NailsNeedDoing

I think the landowners should pay for it, not the councils. No one expects councils to pay for things that landlords are required to provide, farmers are no different. Or, if they don’t want to pay for it, they’re are choosing to run the risk of crops (and their income) being damaged. Up to them.

I appreciate the problem when footpaths run diagonally in a field so it might not be possible to use fencing and people should just be careful, but that isn’t the case for the OP.

How about the general public don't act like entitled dicks?

The problem is the few not the many - same with walkers and dog walkers on this private estate., I would say 10% leave litter and dog poo, drug stuff, masks, plastic gloves etc. 90% do not, although as it is on my bit of the road a private road with no right of way however I regard them all as people who do not respect the law although I save my worst ire for the litter bugs. Even when they drop nothing it is the sheer volume all trespassing other than our residents which is the issue - the noise, I could sit in the garden and write down all the private things they are saying on mobiles for example not that I would.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55712672

Clymene It's a criminal offence to block a public right of way.

They have the right to be angry but not to break the law.

A local established right of way has been blocked by an angry farmer, I've been walking on it for the last 30 years.

Actually, I did walk through a 'precious horse paddock' once. A bigger filed had a section fenced in as a paddock and they'd used that 'stick and plastic ribbon' type temporary fencing to create a corridor for walkers, to guide them along a diagonal 'through field' footpath, well out of the horses' way. It felt like some walking version of Oscars' Night, as if we were about emerge from the VIP pathway to the glare of cameras. Odd! But sensible, yes.

@Viviennemary

Put a sign up. How are people supposed to know there is a crop there. And they're not supposed to walk on it. Or buy a fierce looking bull.

Hahaha please put a fierce looking bull in your wheat field! 😂

So many people get hung up on the “rights” part of “rights of way”. I have a right to walk here. What right do you have to stop me from going exactly where I want? I know my rights.

Too many people seem less quick to want to remember that with rights go responsibilities. The responsibility to educate yourself a little about the unfamiliar environment you plan to visit. The responsibility to treat other people’s land, fences, crops, livestock with respect and to leave it as you found it. The responsibility not to spoil it for everyone else. The responsibility, in short, not to act like a self-centred, entitled, ignorant dick.

Sorry to hear about the fence OP, that's shocking! (or not, perhaps it needs to be...)

A farmer near me has built a path boundary made out of a mound of earth, so it runs alongside the path at quite raised height (maybe 3 ft) - I know it's partly to keep Travellers from pitching onto his field as he had problems last year, but it's had the effect of making people stick to the path. Would that work for you?

I “simply and cheaply” paid for a fence round one of my fields, it cost about £1000! We couldn’t use a plain strand of wire because people still let their dogs run under it, and people would still duck under it and go in the field to avoid mud. We have used sheep netting and electric wire on top. In a civilised society you shouldn’t have to!

twitter.com/NFUtweets/status/1351873407034535943

So, in the last couple of days I've learnt that countryside dwellers should have signs up everywhere to remind people unfamiliar with the countryside that they should:

• stick to the footpath
• keep off the crops
• keep off private land
• not feed the animals
• keep their dogs on a lead
• be aware there are animals in fields
• pick up their litter

Where do we stop? Why should farmers and landowners put up signs everywhere to compensate for a lack of knowledge in people coming out to the countryside?

The fact is that most farmers and landowners spend an incredible amount of time and money looking after the countryside and keeping it looking attractive whilst at the same time also trying to keep it functional and make a living out of it. The people who live rurally are usually well aware of the beauty and value of where they live, and go to pains to maintain it to the best of their ability. Where I live, landowners have gone to massive lengths to create habitats that encourage all manner of wildlife - all those hedges, wildflower strips, fallow areas, woodlands, ponds, streams, etc are created and maintained, and mostly to a very good standard. However, the countryside is a living, working environment, subjected to weather, and simply putting down an artificial surface across a field is not going to be appropriate or even helpful to anyone.

Enough farmers have explained here why it is important to keep to a path and not damage crops. The posters who are saying a farmer is damaging their own land by farming it, well, I am speechless at their ignorance. If a path becomes muddy through overuse, mud happens in the country. Destroying a crop is not the solution, nor is hard-paving it, or fencing it off. The right solution is to use the land respectfully and accept that mud happens when it rains.

I saw this posted on FB page. And it did actually make me think.

I do use public footpaths that cross farmers fields. I do stick to the path but as a normally fair weather walker (albeit with boots) I'd not considered what effect I could be having on a field if I skirt a swampy bit (even if its only a few inches). So i consider myself educated and know better for the future.

You are not being unreasonable at all. Luckily our footpath is fenced on both sides to contain people but I am now planning on putting in hedges too as our fencing is getting damaged. Why can't people just respect other peoples property and KEEP DOGS ON LEADS!

Where IS the footpath? I think people assume it's a wide berth of a field and it doesn't matter as the field doesn't have a crop. The biggest issue at the moment isn't the usual walkers, wellies or not (walking boots in my case) but the number of people who feel an urge to walk during lockdown who've never done it before. I have never seen so many people out walking on a Sunday. Many were wearing expensive wellies or inappropriate shoes but none really understand footpaths. I was wearing walking shoes and got people warning me about mud but I was much more prepared than most.

@backinthebox you forgot about the sign needed to tell people not to knock down the other signs.

Sorry...just saw your footpath diagram. That is truly terrible. I'm so sorry people have been so thoughtless.

@CrotchBurn

FFS the aggro on this thread. No I wouldn't be able to tell this field is for crops. Why would I? I'm not from the countryside. How the fuck am I meant to know what a winter wheat field looks like? When would that knowledge ever have been useful to me? Make the path obvious or put up a sign. This is what we invented words for.

Actually, you have the responsibility to learn the Countryside Code. And be respectful to the countryside, the farmers, etc. It's not up to them to make things easy for you.

The countryside is not a playground. If you want to walk out, then make it your business to learn about the area and where the footpath goes. You can get things called maps, and GPS apps.

I'm a townie, but always wear decent walking boots, stay on the path and make sure I know where I'm going. I also assume that the fields are planted. It's irrelevant whether you know what winter wheat looks like.