To speak to the cafe owner about this.

[Heathcote294]

I walk my dog about twice a week in the countryside, on my own.

I park in a narrow lay-by, walk around the lake and then return to the car. If I follow the road (single track) in the direction I came in on it will take me around 3 miles to be able to turn onto a main road and then return home.

There's a cafe next to the lake that I frequently go to after my walk when it's open. It's currently out of season but the gates/carpark remain open as they have some holiday let's on the site. Instead of doing the extra 3 miles along the single track lane I turn around at the cafe. I dont drive fully into the carpark, I just put my front half of the car onto the drive and the reverse back so that I'm facing in the right direction for home.

The road is too narrow to do a 3 point turn and the narrow lay by I park in is sloped and muddy.
The only other turning spot is a busy working farm which I'd never use.

I know the owners to say hello to and I know they employ a man to do maintenance on the property let's. On 3 occasions now this man has been stood by the cafe as I turn the car around. He has stared absolute daggers at me and shook his head as I've done the manoover. He is it again yesterday.

You have to walk past the front of the cafe to get around the lake. I find this man really intimidating.

Am I in the wrong for doing this manoover in my car? I'm thinking of letting the cafe owners know that this man is putting me off using their cafe in the future and actually making me nervous of doing this lake walk altogether.

However, if I'm in the wrong then I obviously won't and I'll stop turning there. I just don't see what harm I'm doing when it's a business, not a private residence, the carpark is open and I'm not even driving up to the cafe.

It's probably this then, passing with trailers and large machines can be difficult and risky for your car!
It might be better to just use this walk in season when the cafe is open. Or, if you know the owners, ask if you can use the car park for a fee. It could be a new income stream for them. A business I know uses an honesty box which has been working well.

He is probably quite perplexed at you having a driving license as you seem to have no concept of the highway code.
But as you have pointed out repeatedly, he is just a serf and you know the owners personally. Do you think they should sack him or just order him to doff his cap to you?

Considering its a single track road and a narrow layby, it may well be that you are using a passing place to park in and causing problems for other road users, like this maintenance guy. There may be space for three cars, but if other people park there too, then it can't be used for passing.

I don't think it's the turning in the gateway that's the issue, it's blocking a passing place on a single-track road to a farm which presumably has farm machinery, lorries etc passing the cars en route to the café, and causing passing problems.

Right! “I know the owners”.

Ridiculous.

If the cafe car park is open, why don't you just park in there rather than the layby-which-may-be-a-passing-place-not-a-layby?

This.

And also this!

Because the cafe isn't open for business and the lay-by is where walkers park so I've just followed suit.

Why is it ridiculous to say I know the owners?

I do, they're lovely people.

If the owners are such lovely people, talk to them. Ask permission to use their carpark. Be proactive.

But you must realise it's highly likely where you're parking is a passing place?

Why are you just being a sheep?

Hi OP, we’re all human, I’ve inadvertently put my foot in it with parking before (not deliberately but absent mindedly and only realised after the fact that I prob should have parked elsewhere!) I would chalk it up to experience and park somewhere else or like another poster said, just use this as a seasonal walk when the cafe is open (and you can park there when you do the combo walk & visit the cafe). It’s v likely nothing to do with turning the car but parking in a passing place on a narrow country lane which is the problem.

Is there alternative parking further down the lane towards ‘home’ on your map? Best to park somewhere legit even if it means a further walk to your lake walk (which does sound nice 🙂)

I was mocked all the way through school for being dyslexic and struggling with spelling. Yes I still make mistakes, even at my age. I'm not sure what your excuse for being am arse hole is though.

I'm confused. Is the Lane one way and you are reversing back down it to the main road?

Thankyou for such a kind reply. I'll just avoid this walk out of season. Its not worth the aggro. I dont know where the correct place to park is. Locals park in the lay-by, no one parks in the cafe when it's closed. I thought I was doing the right thing but maybe not. Is rather just avoid it altogether. Plenty more countryside to explore.

Yeh, I'll have a chat with them when the cafe reopens. Find out what's what.

I live in the countryside, lots of single track lanes. I would say that first of all you are parking in a passing spot not a parking lay-by. Looking at your map, why on earth would there be a parking spot there. Sometimes passing spots need to be long because there can be two cars driving the same direction at the same time and sometimes there are longer vehicles.

I am curious as to who this man is, but if he is responsible for the cafe and does like you turning there, then I think you should stop. But mainly, I see you parking in what is almost certainly a passing spot as the main issue here. Blocking a passing spot could cause cause very considerable inconvenience.

Ah you’re welcome, I don’t why people have to be so fierce on here, we all make mistakes! I’d prob have done the same and assumed it was fine if I saw locals parking there.

I’ll see your scowling man, and raise you a livid elderly lady who chased me down the street as I’d not realised I’d parked in a residents only bay! 🫢

The 'layby' is opposite a kissing gate with a map of the circular walk and a bit of information on the local wildlife that inhabit the lake area so I don't think it's a stretch for people (myself included) to assume (rightly or wrongly) that its a little parking area.

I don't know where the correct place to park is

Often in the countryside there isn't anywhere to park. Not close by anyway.

😄 and one day we'll probably be the scowlers, I'm sure I'll go full circle! Thanks again.

If the owners are such lovely people, talk to them. Ask permission to use their carpark.

This.

Also I don't understand what you mean by "I know the owners" as you've made it sound like they're your friends but also in your OP you explain it as though you know them in passing i.e. you are customer of their shop rather than a friend of the owners and they say hello to you when they see you as they recognise you as a customer.

I don't see why this makes you think you have any more rights than their employee who probably knows them better than you do...

So how do you think other vehicles and farm machinery would be able to pass each other on the single track road if the passing spot is being used for parking?

I am absolutely baffled that you think you can park wherever you want just because there is a gate a notice about wildlife. Have you ever been to the countryside before? It is full of walks that are signed, it doesn’t mean you can park by the sign. 🤷‍♀️