Can we drive to an area for a walk?

[Swissrollypoly]

Or is it like last time when you had to walk/exercise in your local area.
I want to be able to take my toddler on a walk in the woods that’s a 15 min drive from us.

Of course you can, and you can bring a friend from another household.

It's quite obvious from the guidance that travel for exercise is not included.
Essential travel includes:
essential shopping
travelling to work where your workplace is open or you cannot work from home
travelling to education and for caring responsibilities
hospital GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health.

I will be driving to go somewhere for a walk, there’s only so many laps of my village you can do without getting really bored. We have woodland near by where I walk a lot but I have stopped going since several cars have been broken onto, we have loads of walking spots within 5 miles of home so I won’t need to go too far. I did the same last time. People need fresh air and walking is great for people’s mental health so do continue to go out, just be sensible and don’t drive 20+ miles to go to the coast when you have other places closer to home.

During the first lockdown my dd took her dcs virtually every day on a very short drive to various woods or open spaces where they could run around.

The only time anyone commented was when a female police officer (in a busier open area) ticked her off for sitting on a bench to BF her young baby.

God forbid @SoloMummy that anyone should need to use the nhs for anything, other than the blessed covid of course. What a load of nonsense. By your standards we should not leave the house and preferably not cook/clean/play with our kids just in case we get hurt and need medical assistance.

@SoloMummy

It's quite obvious from the guidance that travel for exercise is not included. Essential travel includes: essential shopping travelling to work where your workplace is open or you cannot work from home travelling to education and for caring responsibilities hospital GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health.

Even if the guidance unambiguously stated that people should not drive for exercise, which it doesn't, we still don't yet know what the rules will say. There is absolutely no guarantee that rules and guidance will say the same thing and indeed plenty of examples of them not doing. You are overstating your level of knowledge about what will be allowed and will not.

The guidance says "includes but is not limited to."

I will drive for exercise.

Back in the spring, the mud was drying out and there were miles of countryside accessible from my doorstep where I could run off, away from my busy neighbourhood.

It's already very slippery and the mud this week would have forced the closure of the nearby pumpkin farm for safety reasons even if they hadn't run out of pumpkins first. So it is safer taking the car to somewhere where I won't slither into an injury in an empty field or knacker my knees on pavement pouunding.

Besides, this time the government has realised that outdoor exercise should be encouraged for mental and physical wellbeing.

Solomummy that quote was in reference to using public transport.

They’ve said meeting your support bubble in countryside, beaches etc is ok. Driving in those circumstances will be very likely.

Also hoards driving from far away to rain sodden beauty spots will be unlikely. Last time the weather was lovely.

Yes my support bubble live 45 minutes away.

You can meet with one friend for exercise, so yes, I'm reading that as you can drive somewhere. I'm going to anyway.

@Reedwarbler

God forbid *@SoloMummy* that anyone should need to use the nhs for anything, other than the blessed covid of course. What a load of nonsense. By your standards we should not leave the house and preferably not cook/clean/play with our kids just in case we get hurt and need medical assistance.

Absolutely. We must only eat cold food in case we burn ourselves while cooking, and nothing from a tin in case you accidentally slash your wrists while opening it. It's important not to wash as you could drown in the bath or slip in the shower. We must not do anything to cause strain on the NHS!

We are definitely still driving to go walking in woods. 100%.

Some of these comments are frankly batshit.

I would just do it.

@sausagepastapot

We are definitely still driving to go walking in woods. 100%.

Some of these comments are frankly batshit.

It's basically miserable people trying to force other people to be as miserable as they are. The only joy they get in life. Sad.

Oh good, these threads are back again.

People are getting so touchy, of course it’s ok to drive a short distance to exercise, of course it’s not ok to drive for an hour to exercise (there’s no need for it), people moaning because they can’t travel out of the city they live in to the countryside so don’t want anyone else walking in the countryside despite it being on our doorstep. Of course it seems unfair if you live in the city but it’s also unfair for s in the countryside that we may have to drive further to get food and that we have no Uber eats to deliver out here. I’m glad I live in the middle of nowhere, I can walk for miles and not see anyone, I can drive 5 minutes to local woodland or to a lake but thats why I chose to live here. I make the most of what’s on my doorstep or a 5 minute drive away. And no, we don’t want people driving miles to come here, making it impossible to social distance or park, I’m sure if you lived here you would feel the same?

@SushiGo

We'll have to wait and see what the guidance says but I am hoping it is allowed. The footpaths around our home got very crowded when no one was allowed to drive a bit further afield.

This! It was like bloody piccadilly circus outside our very rural house last time. Couldn't wait for lockdown to end so everyone would go away!

My dogs couldn't handle it! They were on high alert for weeks.

@Lovemusic33

People are getting so touchy, of course it’s ok to drive a short distance to exercise, of course it’s not ok to drive for an hour to exercise (there’s no need for it), people moaning because they can’t travel out of the city they live in to the countryside so don’t want anyone else walking in the countryside despite it being on our doorstep. Of course it seems unfair if you live in the city but it’s also unfair for s in the countryside that we may have to drive further to get food and that we have no Uber eats to deliver out here. I’m glad I live in the middle of nowhere, I can walk for miles and not see anyone, I can drive 5 minutes to local woodland or to a lake but thats why I chose to live here. I make the most of what’s on my doorstep or a 5 minute drive away. And no, we don’t want people driving miles to come here, making it impossible to social distance or park, I’m sure if you lived here you would feel the same?

You don't know whether the rules will prevent people from driving an hour and, in the nicest possible way, there's no reason for you to imagine OP or anyone else will be taking your preferences into account. You don't own the countryside and have no more right to public land than anyone else.

It’a common sense. If I drive 5/10 minutes up the road I can avoid crowds entirely.
I did this before and will do it again. It was never explicitly banned I don’t think. But was in France.

I think the rules will allow people do what ever they like for outdoor exercise, which is as it should be (even though I'm curmudgeonly about people flocking here to walk!)

@Lovemusic33

I will be driving to go somewhere for a walk, there’s only so many laps of my village you can do without getting really bored. We have woodland near by where I walk a lot but I have stopped going since several cars have been broken onto, we have loads of walking spots within 5 miles of home so I won’t need to go too far. I did the same last time. People need fresh air and walking is great for people’s mental health so do continue to go out, just be sensible and don’t drive 20+ miles to go to the coast when you have other places closer to home.

If you have these facilities within 5 miles, then walk there! That's exercise!!!

I wouldn't walk 5 miles along country B roads with no pavements!