Can I drive 5 miles to walk in the woods?

[R2221]

Just that really. We’ve been isolating for over a week and these woods are the only thing that kept us sane. Isolated woods - not many people there. Those we came across were mindful of distance.

With the current lockdown rules, are we allowed to drive there?

The woods may not be as quiet as they were last week OP.
I'm lucky enough to live 2 mins walk away from woods and used to never seeing anyone when I take dogs for early walk.
This week we're getting lots of people driving from town 4 miles away. Everyone very polite backing into the undergrowth to avoid passing close by on the narrow paths.

Forestry England has shut its woods today.. so if its them no you can't at least not any more ....

Well that seems pretty definite. Driving to the woods for a walk isn't essential travel. From Forestry England website

"...The most important thing for Forestry England is to keep the public and our staff safe.
The government has said everyone must stay at home apart from essential travel. Sadly this means we have to ask you not to come to the nation’s forests. We will keep monitoring the situation closely and follow the latest advice from Public Health England..."

I wonder how many people had this enormous urge to walk in ‘the woods’ before this crisis occurred?

I don't know. We decided in the end to avoid unnecessary travel, so have knocked the woods on the head for now. I think it'll be difficult to police away from areas with proper car parks; however places like that won't attract mass interest from outsiders, so hopefully closed signs on gates will give people pause for thought.

The idiocy of the UK public is astounding

It is, isn't it?

Everyone knows full well what they are supposed to be doing, yet so many people want to be a smart arse, bending the rules.

On the other hand you've got nurses forced out onto the front line - crying in front of the camera - one even committed suicide in the hospital after her shift - begging us not to go out. Yet still some insist on acting the twat and putting everyone at risk.

Yes, you're right. Fucking idiotic.

For the sake of your sanity and the wellbeing of your DC I would say yes. I’m in the very vulnerable category, but without my daily walk I would become even more depressed. My GP agreed that it was reasonable for me to do this.

one even committed suicide in the hospital after her shift

Please don’t jump to conclusions. We don’t know why she ended her life. It is heartbreaking, but out of respect it’s best not to use a tragedy to bolster your won argument.

I wonder how many people had this enormous urge to walk in ‘the woods’ before this crisis occurred?
I wonder this too.

Lots of people I know have said that suddenly the normally quiet routes they walk their dogs are full of people.

Everyone knows full well what they are supposed to be doing, yet so many people want to be a smart arse, bending the rules

The OP isn't doing that though. She does know what she is supposed to be doing and she's doing it. She's being sensible, mindful and following the clarified government guidelines.

There are benches filled with idiots having drinks. People having BBQs in alleyways. Those are the people that are behaving appallingly.

Picking on the OP smacks of an easy target.

If you profoundly disagree with the government guidelines, then that's one thing. Being nasty to people who are following them is quite another.

Not particularly directed at OP. There seem to be a lot of people determined to hear what they all want to hear. It is non-essential travel. If the government guidance is ambiguous, local police and NHS workers are not.

Stay at home. Stop being a pedantic twat.

I was stopped in my car today by police and asked where I was going. I was dropping some medication round to my elderly mothers house but had my 2 dc in the back as they’re too young to be left home alone. I was told very clearly that I needed to drive straight home.

Stay at home. Stop being a pedantic twat

Stop bullying posters. You are being a classic, name-calling MN thread bully, believing yourself to be holding some invisible COVID-19 pass to abuse other posters.

You don't.

Be civilized. Every time you lash out and call someone a name, you sound ignorant, unable to debate properly, and less intelligent than you possibly are.

Really?!

So your ELDERY mum didn't get medication?

Even Boris said its really important to get out today!!

We are allowed out. I have a park very close to my house and opp that park is hundreds of stasi with nothing better to do than photograph and watch what people are doing in the park!

I came on to say this, posted by LadyJessica, which I also saw on the news,

They 'guy on BBC news' who said it's ok to drive to go for a walk is Daniel Sandford, a Home Affairs Correspondent for BBC News.

You can watch it on today's BBC News Special (24 March 2020) at the 17:45 mark.

Q: "... Am I allowed to drive to a park and then go for a walk in the park?"
A: "... Strictly under what the government is saying that is absolutely ok..."

So I would say to drive a short distance to be able to walk in almost isolation is a sensible thing to do.

Tonyaster I agree.

It's insane.

There are some people very fragile people out there, they could be in domestic violence situation anything... And people are taking their photos and lambasting them on social media for being in a park with young dc.

That park is the bloody last place I want To go!

I was told very clearly that I needed to drive straight home.

Well you should have reported them then because giving care to or helping with the medical needs of a vulnerable person is clearly specified as allowed under the current guidelines.

Police have been out today in parts of the country handing out "this is not an essential journey stay home" leaflets.

They should have better things to do - like fining groups of people. Walking around here means a higher chance of meeting people than driving a mile to a more secluded location.

We're driving 5 minutes up the road to go for a walk. It's very remote and we we've only seen 1 or 2 groups of people in an hour and gone nowhere near them.

Today we went where we live and saw about 8 groups of people in 20 minutes. We won't be going back there and will do the 5 minute drive instead.

Police in our county are posting pictures on Facebook of them parked in deserted car parks at deserted beauty spots. Literally idiotic.

I don’t know if anyone has shared this but this was the advice from Cornwall Police today

Debyshire police said 'Daily exercise should be taken locally to your home", which of course a 5 minute drive to the woods is.
An hours' drive to Snowdonia or the Peak District,not so much.

Evenstar fair enough if the police think that's valid in Newquay. I guess people are heading to the beach in droves.

However, it is currently at odds with the other police forces and government advice.

I think it's absolutely right that police forces monitor local activity and respond accordingly.

@Evenstar Yes, we had the same advice in Devon. It seems very clear to me. And they are stopping drivers too.

The advice is from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and covers the entire region, not just Newquay.