AIBU to be fed up with walkers trespassing on our land?

[Pricelessadvice]

We have a family farm that, unfortunately, has a footpath that runs through it.
The footpath turns and goes into some woods and off our property but many people ignore the turn and just carry on around our land. This is mostly dog walkers. They then let their dog crap on our fields and just leave it. We take a crop off the land- some years a hay crop, some years beans, others wheat- but people just don’t seem to care.
I am always polite when I see someone trespassing. I ask them if they know they have left the footpath and I point them back in the direction of it. 9 people out of 10 get really arsey about it. I get all the excuses in the book- “it’s just fields/I always walk here/I can do what I want/it’s just grass/other people do it”
Ive had off lead dogs chasing my liveries horses (who have permission to ride the headlands), sheep being worried, the list goes on.

There are plenty of signs telling people where the footpath is and where it isn’t, but they get ignored.

When I try to explain to people that they wouldn’t like it if I walked my dogs in their garden every day and let them poo everywhere, they just argue that it’s not the same coz “these are fields”
SIGH
The Covid year was a bloody nightmare with people wandering everywhere.
When did people get so entitled? AIBU to think that people just think they can do whatever the hell they want nowadays?

Terrible!
Can you fence it off? Electric fence...get a shotgun! (Half joking obv...)

Youre going to have to put up a big secure fence if you dont like it OP.

I am amazed 9/10 people get arsey. Maybe you are not as nice as you think you are towards them? I would have thought at least 50% of people would apologise and thank you - but then maybe im being too naive.

Is there any way that you could fence/hedge it off so that they have to follow the correct path?

Fence and spiky hedges would be useful. Or a nice ditch. Perhaps you need to improve drainage in that area? Anything that makes the walk through the woods more attractive than your fields.

I’ve walked paths that have been fenced in and much prefer it. No chance of getting lost and no chance of a curious cow scaring the life out of me. The fence is the answer.

Why should she have to ask nicely?

I wonder whether the OP is a woman. If so, that’s likely to be the reason these entitled twits respond rudely.

Can you fence the path, with a big gate at the turn and a PRIVATE - NO ENTRY sign on the gate? You shouldn’t have to go to the expense, but it might save you money in the long run.

People are incredibly rude and entitled. No, you are not being unreasonable, they are.

My dad has similar and found that the best way to keep people on the path was increased signage - he got 2 for the footpath and one about dogs risk being shot if they interfere with livestock...seems to have had the desired effect.

I am not defending people trespassing but for balance. In England about 8% of the country has a right to roam. That’s tiny.

Eveyone thinks that they’ll get to the countryside and just be able to walk about but actually it’s pretty limited where you can walk, most of the countryside is inaccessible .

this isn’t to excuse their behaviour, which is inexcusable but goes some way to explain the motivation. Really unless you barricade it off they’ll take their chances tbh.

I never leave the path because you’ll eventually come up against a fence or hedge or ditch you can’t get past, so if there is something they’re heading for across your property you need to move that barrier forward to the point you want them to stop.

You need a sign or signs and a fence. If they're really bothering you. On our family farm we leave walkers along so long as gates are closed, livestock not bothered which is 99% of the time. The land has been in our family for a couple hundred of years but we're custodians rather than owners, is how we see it. Apart from one cousin, but he's a bit of a prick. In an area of outstanding beauty we understand why people want to walk there.

Put up a sign saying “Field treated with pesticide - poisonous to dogs - do not leave path”

I am surprised so many people get arsey - never had that when pointing someone in the correct direction. If it's dogs your worried about - agree about signage saying on lead only and that the dogs are at risk of being shot if they approach livestock. We have one saying the cows will charge if they see a dog or people they consider 'strangers' - which is pretty much true.

YANBU.

Just checking, is the right of way really clearly signposted and the private bit marked as such?

As someone who walks a lot for leisure I quite often am on paths that run along a field boundary or by farm property in some way. I would never knowingly stray from the path and trespass, always close gates, stay well clear of livestock and I don't have a dog. Just occasionally I have been in a suggestion where the path isn't clear; sometimes (not often) a farmer has tried to discourage walkers by making the path hard to follow. Counter-productive I would say as this is surely more likely to lead to people being in the wrong place.

Can you make it harder in some way for them to stray off the path? Fence or gate or something? Not that you should have to really and I am shocked how many of them are so rude and entitled.

Leave something REALLY stinky for their dogs to roll in.

As a keen walker it always amazes me that landowners aren't more motivated to provide clear signage. Often paths meander and, especially when they're overgrown, it's hard to be sure of the way.

Put up a sign FO sign on the bend and 99% of walkers will be grateful for a clear steer and stick to the path. The others are arses and deserve a bull in the field.

Cards on the table - I’m passionate about Public Rights of Way, and at the moment myself and a group of other walkers are working with our PROW officer at the council to tackle a local farmer who has blocked a PROW through his yard, and who has guard dogs loose who have bitten walkers, and a teenaged trail runner.

I would advise engaging with your local PROW officer to double check the routes, access and egress points, and then double up on signage, and block off incorrect points. You might even have an PROW volunteer group like CROWS in Calderdale, who check routes, and fix signage and stiles.

Also check out your land on both All Trails, and Kommute walking apps. These allow users to upload their own walks and routes to share with others but do not check whether they are on access land, permissive paths or PROWS, or on private land. So, you may be getting aggro from someone who has followed an uploaded walk and thinks that they are actually on the right path.

We have the same problem. The path carries on alongside our drive which makes it impossible to fence off. Most people are lovely and no bother but we've also had loose dogs, people wandering around the outside of the house having a nosey, even a couple of men camping in the garden. The problem is too many people don't know or prefer to ignore the countryside code.

Agree these issues have escalated since Covid. There are similar issues in our local golf course who have invested in a lot more signage to try and sort it. However some people are just oblivious and get arsey when asked to get off the fairways and greens and say ‘there’s a public right of way’ even when it is pointed out they are 50 metres away from the actual public footpath! Golf courses are also private land - like farms - but too many people seem unaware or just too entitled.

Fence perhaps, but why should you need it if there is a sign? If they cannot read it then they should get eye tests and wear glasses if needed.

Fence it off.

Electric fence with warnings.
Private property and trespassers will prosecuted signs.
Or a guard dogs roaming loose on our private property sign

The problem is too many people don't know or prefer to ignore the countryside code.

Is it even taught these days? I remember this being covered in school when I was young.

ETA: Though surely your own common sense is all that is needed

OP I share your pain.
Bloody townies!

People saying fences - they're an absolute fortune.

if you are planting a crop fencing it off is not really an option. Trying to sow and harvest a field with a fence anywhere but on the periphery is beyond difficult and you would waste a huge amount of land.
is it possible to apply to have the footpath diverted.