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?

In our National Park the National Trust and Stately Homes have closed their sites, car parks and toilets. All restaurants, pubs, cafes, hotels, B&Bs, hostels, attractions and non essential shops have closed. The council has closed toilets but left car parks open but this is with signs for them to be used only for essential purposes - ie by locally living or working key workers and local people who are working from home and have no private parking, locals carrying out essential food or chemist shopping, attending medical appointments or caring for the vulnerable.

And yet still today, the selfish, foolish and entitled day trippers and 'exercisers' are still coming. Our small village shops are struggling to feed the local and vulnerable people who depend upon them, yet still today people driving in are trying to empty them while they are in the area.

Today, in another but very similar area, the news and police are reporting that a farmer feeding his sheep and disinfecting gateposts because of the hordes of people going through his land was beaten up - punched numerous times and kicked when down - by a walker he asked to go home, leaving him bruised and shaken.

The Police and Mountain Rescue are saying do not come. I make no apology for the bold.

Saw the Chief Constable of Devon&Cornwall police on tv earlier (2nd day in a row) saying the same Evenstar. They are clearly overstepping the mark and at odds with ministers who have stated that going somewhere more remote makes sense. This is the problem with blanket rules and handing too much power to police - it is not their job to tell people to go home when those people are not causing any issue.

Spoke to a friend earlier who doesn't drive so is using the park for exercise. She tried to go at what she thought would be a quiet time but it was still full of people, all trying to keep out of each other's way, but very difficult with dogs and children and just sheer numbers. We haven't got a lot of green spaces in our city. I can see this policy of bottling pp up causing increasing anger in a short time.

I went to the wide open space where my dog can run today. Usually there are very few people there - 3 or 4 in an area of about 2 square miles. Today it was absolutely packed. Not so packed that we couldn't keep our distance but packed enough that my dog had to stay on lead most of the time. Suddenly, everyone needs exercise!

I can't wait until it pisses down with rain and all these people go back inside again.

Over here, at least where I live, we are encouraged to go somewhere less crowded for your exercise. Driving is better than public transport.

lifesave sorry I wasn’t clear - I was in my way back from dropping medication off. They weren’t stopping me from giving my mum medication, just making sure I wasn’t going anywhere else afterwards.

I’m in a town in Devon that’s filled up with idiot second homes owners. I’m guessing that’s why police are being stricter as even until Tuesday the fudge shop was open with great queues of people outside.

No it's not!

How many times does this have to be said? You DO NOT travel to your favourite place to exercise .

What the hell is wrong with people?

How many times does this have to be said? You DO NOT travel to your favourite place to exercise

How many times does it have to be said, it might be much safer to drive to an isolated spot than run in the built up, highly populated area you live in?

Over here, at least where I live, we are encouraged to go somewhere less crowded for your exercise. Driving is better than public transport.

When I lived in the US, where I lived there were no sidewalks or footpaths - if you wanted to walk it meant driving to a state park or doing a few laps in the mall.
(One of the reasons I wouldn't have stayed in that part of PA)

Anyway.... while there may be situations where it seems sensible to drive somewhere remote, be aware that the police may not agree.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3861504-For-anyone-thinking-of-driving-somewhere-for-exercsie?reverse=1

All Forestry England sites have now been officially closed and the public are being told to stay away. I assume there will be some form of patrol system.

Thank goodness. At last perhaps people will stop being twats.

Do not dive your car anywhere but to a supermarket or to your place of work. The emergency services are already maxed out. They don't need to be dealing with car crash victims who thought they must go for a jolly round the countryside. Stay home

Hopefully all forces follow the same way - though they shouldn’t have to waste their time doing so.

It is simples - stay. At. Home.

Avon and Somerset police are giving notices out that says exercise must be taken locally and you are not allowed to drive somewhere for exercise.

According to the DM yesterday, you can.

Neighbour told me, I don't touch the DM.

It is simples - stay. At. Home

Not the advice people have been given by the government. Not the advice that our police force are giving.

I haven't seen one single person behaving badly in our (semi-rural) area. Everyone is being sensible and observant of the guidelines.

www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/you-not-allowed-drive-anywhere-3985395?_ga=2.211404060.822891804.1585228505-807294848.1585228504 for some reason this was linked to in my local (Devon) news. Seems to be pretty clear though.

DH said this morning he'd seen on social media that some police forces were patrolling some woods etc and sending people home because it was a non-essential journey.

This is from Devon news: www.devonlive.com/news/uk-world-news/you-not-allowed-drive-anywhere-3985395

North Yorkshire police are going to be doing the same: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8155221/Chief-constable-Call-police-large-gatherings-defying-coronavirus-lockdown.html

I can see their point to be honest. It's non essential travel. The stay home, avoid non essential travel and have your exercise message shifting to "but actually a few people have asked about driving to do the exercise so that's probably ok and not a problem" on the telly has created needless confusion.

Those reports are unambiguous.

Devon seems to have a relatively high number of confirmed cases.

If the guidelines change, people will - by and large - comply. I don't know - nor have I seen - anyone who is not complying with guidance.

As long as the official advice is that it's okay to drive a short distance to exercise somewhere quiet, then people doing that should not be subjected to the verbal abuse and bullying that we've seen on MN over the last few days.

It's been appalling. I've been here for almost 13 years - I've never seen anything like it.

Our rural police force keeps posting pics of themselves parked in absolutely deserted countryside, patting ponies, taking photos of wildlife. If someone turned up for a walk its the police who make it a gathering or more than 2 people. Honestly its pathetic.

Thekindofwindowsfaceslookinat couldn't agree nore3

More!

Nothing in this SI says that you can't drive for your exercise:

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/pdfs/uksi_20200350_en.pdf

No, there’s nothing in that cologne but I think local police forces are deciding whether people are allowed to or not based on the area (I’m in Devon with a ridiculous amount of second home owners who have turned up to have a nice holiday ). Round here they’ve locked shut all the car parks by woods and nature reserves and police are stopping cars and telling them to go home if they’re taking the dog for a walk/ driving to have their exercise. My dm was turned back from driving to Lidl this morning (about 15 mins away) and told to do her big shop at Sainsbury’s instead (5-10 minutes away).