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.

sorry you do realise the farmer is more bothered about their income from the crop rather than ease of access for walkers? You don't have to walk there, they have to plant their crop!

I thought they were supposed to leave an obvious path clear and not obstruct it if there is a public footpath. Most do around here.

Exactly. It was a public footpath marked on the map and sign posted across the field. Most farmers do leave an obvious route. Why wouldn't they? After all if you obscure the path you are more likely to get people accidentally straying where they shouldn't. be. I do believe most walkers want to do the right thing and stay on the path.

And as for saying "You don't have to walk there". OK imagine this scenario. You are following a 7 mile walking route and 5 miles in the path is suddenly obscured and difficult to make out. Do you a) shrug, turn round and retrace your steps 5 miles back the way you came or b) study the map and try to figure out the best way back to a discernible path to finish the walk. Honestly?

People have no idea how to behave in the countryside and too many seem to think it's there for amusement. Parking all over the place, peering through house windows, leaving gates open, leaving litter, and then this.

Could you put up signs demarcating the path which at the same time explain that it's a crop and asking them not to be selfish bastards?

People are thoughtless. If you put up some polite signs you will educate most of them hopefully.

That's awful. Our house backs onto farmland and when we walk we accept that the paths will be muddy so wear wellies. We'd never walk on the crops and even our children from tiny and dog know not to do it. Hope it recovers 🌱

People have no idea how to behave in the countryside and too many seem to think it's there for amusement. Parking all over the place, peering through house windows, leaving gates open, leaving litter, and then this

Exactly this.

Recently the Parish Council have been receiving complaints via their social media pages about the state of the local nature reserve. Cars parked on verges, cars parked obstructively in the surrounding streets, litter everywhere, gates left open, dogs being allowed to bother the horses and the cattle that over-winter there, and so on. There is a little bird hide near the lake with a comments book, mainly intended for residents to give feedback to the council and to the Friends Association (volunteer group who maintain the reserve), you can spot the comments from the townies because they're mainly complaints about the muddy paths, the lack of parking, and the lack of toilets as if they're going to install a toilet block and a multi-storey in the middle of the woods. A couple of weeks ago someone left a lit cigarette burning in one of the hides causing a (thankfully small) fire and there has been litter left in them so they're soon to be locked and for residents only, keys will be sold for a nominal fee with proof of address.

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.

You have my sympathies completely . We caught a family in our fields with our horses this afternoon . There is no public right of way , no footpath for miles , but they’d decided to walk down the access route for the drainage board , all of which belongs to different landowners , and then climb over our post and rail to pet the horses . And then complain when they were chased by our newish Redwing pony , who gets decidedly pushy when she hears a plastic bag - a hangover we think from when she was starved . They complained even more when my dogs came to investigate the yelling. They’re lucky they didn’t get a bloody kick. Apparently they’re going to make a complaint ... who to, I can’t imagine .

My neighbouring farmer is thoroughly fucked off at the moment too - someone decided to leave his gates open , and 40 of his sheep got out. Ever tried socially distanced sheep herding ? Luckily a few of us helped and he got them back in , but who needs the stress of watching your livelihood trotting towards a main A road ?

I thought they were supposed to leave an obvious path clear and not obstruct it if there is a public footpath. Most do around here

How wide does an 'obvious path' have to be? Wide enough to walk along or drive a lorry along?

I think that the issue that the OP is drawing attention to is that when it is wet paths get muddy and rather than use the path that the OP had carefully made at the edge of her crop, walkers have trodden all over her crop in order not to get their feet dirty - hence her suggestion that they invest in wellies or other suitable footwear.

I'm a townie and I would always assume fields were private property.

@Viviennemary countryside code!
Leave a gate as you find it
Help prevent damage to crops by walking around the edge of a field unless there is an existing path across it

It's the same as don't start fires, take your litter home and have dogs on a lead around sheep

That’s awful, I’m sorry. People can be very selfish.

@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.

You should stick to pavements if you don't expect crops to be planted in a fucking field.

YANBU obviously

but worth raising awareness, it might work with some.
Too many people think fields are a free for all, that it's ok to hurt or kill animals by feeding them crap. You could spray paint the path in fluorescent purple and orange people would still get "confused".

Share the point, put signs, good luck.

How are people supposed to know there is a crop there. And they're not supposed to walk on it

People should take the time to learn a bit about the area they're about to visit before actually visiting so that they know they're properly prepared for the hike they're about to go on. Its not a stroll around the shopping centre, its a long walk across varying terrain with very little in the way of facilities. Walkers should be correctly dressed, should have some idea of what to do if they get into difficulty, should have checked the weather forecast, and should have at least a vague notion of what route they are going to take and what the expected behaviours are for the places they're going to pass through. A little planning and preparation goes a long way.

@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.

Please tell me you are being sarcastic. No one can be that ... clueless to be polite.

I'm sorry this is happening to you, op, and feel your pain. Since last year's first lockdown, many people have taking to walking in the countryside for the first time and clearly haven't got a clue how to behave. We're in a sheep farming area and have had gates left open, sheep getting out, and dogs off leads. I'd look at fencing in the footpath round the edge of the field using electric fencing and putting up very clear signs. These people aren't thinking at all about how their "walks" are affecting farmers' livelihoods.

Good post, op.

The general public know nowt about farming, or giving a shit about farmers.

Or buy a fierce looking bull.
^

Sure. To the cost of.....??

Also, they're growing wheat. Not meat.

@5foot5

sorry you do realise the farmer is more bothered about their income from the crop rather than ease of access for walkers? You don't have to walk there, they have to plant their crop!

I thought they were supposed to leave an obvious path clear and not obstruct it if there is a public footpath. Most do around here.

Exactly. It was a public footpath marked on the map and sign posted across the field. Most farmers do leave an obvious route. Why wouldn't they? After all if you obscure the path you are more likely to get people accidentally straying where they shouldn't. be. I do believe most walkers want to do the right thing and stay on the path.

And as for saying "You don't have to walk there". OK imagine this scenario. You are following a 7 mile walking route and 5 miles in the path is suddenly obscured and difficult to make out. Do you a) shrug, turn round and retrace your steps 5 miles back the way you came or b) study the map and try to figure out the best way back to a discernible path to finish the walk. Honestly?

I dont think you finishing your walk is more important than the farmers crops!! Geezo! Yeah you walk back

I'm a townie at heart and I don't go tramping over fields. I'm too scared I'd be chased by a bull or even sheep or cows. No thanks.I'll stick to pavements.

Not that this is a good excuse, but I do think it's lack of knowledge rather than being "selfish bastards". There is a public footpath through someone's garden nesr here. I realise that's a right of way (that they probably hate) and walk straight across, eyes front, when I use it and do keep to the edge of crop fields but I have seen people straying off all over the place on the Cotswold Way, clearly not realising that it is a right of way across privately owned land. I am very sorry about your crops OP :-(

That's terrible. Sorry OP. Some people have zero sense

It does look like a walkway. But I'm assuming your neighbours know it isn't. So the issue is people travelling for their walks. I wouldn't know i wasn't supposed to walk on that

If it's a public right of way why isn't it fenced off from the crops?

That's really shit. People can be so thoughtless