Would you walk across someone else's fields?

[hotpatooties1]

Just that really. I've been surprised since moving to a farm just how many people are willing to walk across other peoples land and allow their dogs to run all over it too. Some of the fields have just been sewn and are sprayed with fertiliser regularly..they don't seem to care.

I wouldn't do it, was brought up on and around farms and was told not to walk over other peoples land. I understand the right to roam and that lawfully, they are doing nothing wrong. It just doesn't seem right.

This morning I drove past one of our fields that is gated. A woman had gone into it with her dog, let it off lead and had a kid on a bike in it..AIBU? Would you do that?

@hotpatooties1

She said that as the gate was open she thought it was just grass and it was okay. The gate was open as it had just been sprayed to kill the weeds. I hope her dog is okay I don't let my dogs near that stuff.

I've had an incidence when I was walking my dog on her lead down a track leading to fields behind our house (you can't get down the track because my drive way blocks it), two dogs came bounding across two large sewn fields at me. The whole family walking along the road and up the verges with multiple dogs just sniffing around in the fields. People are so confident in their convictions sometimes!

Hopefully she won't do it again but maybe time to put up some very clear signs.

I presume you told the stupid cow about weed spray? AND to stay off PRIVATE land?

Did you tell the other lot to stay off your private land?

People are un fucking believable.

No. I’m a consummate rule stickler.

No as I’ve lived in the country did years and have many farming friends
I don’t have a dog but do walk a lot using public footpaths - some of the signs are misleading though if you don’t know the area

For years not did!

I live rurally and stick to the footpaths so no, I wouldn't go trampling over someone else's fields.

Generally only if it's a public footpath. Occasionally to get back to the public footpath if we have managed to get lost, but we are careful not to tread on shooting crops, etc.

Years and years ago - yes.
Not any more, no.

@romdowa

I have done if its empty or just grass but never if there is crops as I would presume I could be liable for any damage done to the crops.

It isn't just grass though. It's sprayed and fertilised, not good for animals to come into contact with! It's also for grazing cattle or will be used for feed. The fields that appear empty can also have unseen things in them, unless you can see the entirety of the field I wouldn't be so brave about assuming it is empty.

I hope you told her (of course in a friendly way, not at all with any other implications) to watch out for signs of poisoning in her dog. Stupid cow. I'll only walk where there's a public footpath. There's organised walks near us to make sure all the proper footpaths get sufficient use to make sure they are kept as footpaths

Round here the farmers have taken to putting up large 'Private no public access' signs. I don't blame them. It's been a lot worse since lock down as the number of people walking has increased dramatically. The regular pre lock down walkers tend to stick to public right of ways and respect private land.

@hotpatooties1

Just that really. I've been surprised since moving to a farm just how many people are willing to walk across other peoples land and allow their dogs to run all over it too. Some of the fields have just been sewn and are sprayed with fertiliser regularly..they don't seem to care.

I wouldn't do it, was brought up on and around farms and was told not to walk over other peoples land. I understand the right to roam and that lawfully, they are doing nothing wrong. It just doesn't seem right.

This morning I drove past one of our fields that is gated. A woman had gone into it with her dog, let it off lead and had a kid on a bike in it..AIBU? Would you do that?

We have this happen in our fields as well. People use them as free secure dog runs. They stand at the gate and never pick the shit up.

I confronted one bloke once who argued back that there was no sign which said private. He’d chucked the dog over a padlocked gate! I asked him if he had a sign for his back garden which said private and if not he surely wouldn’t mind if I let all the sheep into his garden for a run round/shit fest. He was still arguing and said I was being unreasonable. My SIL said she was off to get the shotgun at which point he left. Not sure if he’s been back...probably.

If there aren’t public footpaths, it’s definitely time to put up some clear signs. I’d have hoped that people would have an ounce of common sense so that even if the gate is left open, it’s not an open invitation to just walk in. I’d hate to think of something happened to the woman’s dog, what would happen then? Who is liable for that?

Nope. Only go into fields that I know I'm allowed to go into, especially with my horse.

People in this town are stupid though and let their dogs roam anywhere, with no recall training and they let them into fields near our horses. They killed some sheep last year too. Good luck to their dogs if they get near my horse, he'll kill them.

Just remember that everyone. Your dog will NOT survive a kick to the head by a horse, so don't let them run up to horses. It's horrible to see this happen in forests and beaches to other riders.

No absolutely not. Its trespass. I wouldnt randomly go and sit in someones garden so I wouldnt go and sit in a field either. Not unless there was a footpath.

A local footpath goes through the edge of a field that is for sheep so all grass. I admit to wandering a up to a few metres in from the fence to avoid mud and poo, dog on short lead. If it was anything but grass absolutely no way, would never go into a field that wasn't a public footpath

Brought up in the countryside and I'd rather chew my own leg off than walk anywhere than a clearly marked footpath/bridleway. DH was brought up in a town and would happily walk over any random field. Words have been had on many occasion.

God no. I grew up rurally and have had enough experiences with forceful farmers at a young age to understand the rules!

I keep to footpaths over or around fields, and keep ddg in lead. I don't let her roam. If the field has been recently worked over, I will take a different route. Am really lucky though as close to lots of NT land, much of it left to grass with minimal intervention other than intermittent grazing, so prefer these areas to agricultural fields.
Grew up in the country, with respect for rural activities and code of conduct.
Is there a mix of ignorance and entitlement?

@kowari

I use public footpaths, some are not well used but I have the OS app.

Paths marked on an OS map are not necessarily a public right of way. They should be sign posted on the ground.

The only maps that show public RoWs are the definitive maps held by the County Council. They are sometimes available online. In case of doubt, these should be consulted.

@JaceLancs

No as I’ve lived in the country did years and have many farming friends I don’t have a dog but do walk a lot using public footpaths - some of the signs are misleading though if you don’t know the area

This. It is often hard to find the right path across a field even if you are following paths and rights of way so sometimes people make mistakes . I wouldn't just go into a field because a gate was open though. That is poor behaviour

@RandomMess you are damaging the field by doing that. It widens the track and damages whatever grass or crop you are walking on.

It never ceases to amaze me what people think they have the right to do. A very kind gentleman hit me walking stick because I asked him to stop trespassing and put his dog on a lead. He was happily letting it chase sheep round the field. Another group of teenagers used to have large parties the fishing lake and steal the fish, burn the grass and foliage and leave their drug paraphernalia scattered everywhere. They’d swear blind to the police that they were legally entitled to under ‘right to roam’ despite being in England and nowhere near a footpath.

Not unless it had a public right of way through it. I am militant about my right to use those though. Lots of farms with established footpaths have been bought up by horsey people round here and they seem to think their need to protect their horses from the public means they can block footpaths through fields where they want to keep animals. Obviously the public shouldn't harm the animals but that risk doesn't mean you can gate off a right of way.

No I wouldn’t these many fields near me some belong to farmers and others don’t but it’s clear which ones are the farmers

Farmer here. This drives me mad. We have a couple of public footpaths on our farm but people seem to go wherever they fancy and claim "I wasnt sure where the path went"

I also love a walk in the country and always stick to paths

The bee in our bonnet atm is horse riders using the public footpath "if we use the bridle way we cant do the loop we want to do" so bloody what! We approach them so calmly every time but get so much back chat.