Is it worth making a fuss or do i just put up with it?

[Pizdets]

We recently moved to a new area and there are loads of footpaths on our back door across stunning countryside.

I've had to write off using a large chunk of them as they have been ploughed and waist -high crops planted over them and the stiles are overgrown, which makes walks with a lump of a 9 month old in a sling and a small dog just not fun at all.

I thought I'd found a great new accessible loop which I've been doing all week but today one of the fields was full of cows, about 20 of whom were on the footpath and about 5 of whom started running towards us quite fast once we were a few metres into the field. I dropped the dog lead and we all ran back to the stile but it was not a fun experience. I dare say they were just curious or were upset by the dog but I'm not going to stick around to find out with my baby strapped to my front!

I just don't know where I stand on stuff like this - we usually do an hour + walk each day but I find increasingly we're just doing a few laps of the small local park because it's safer and easier. Is it worth me making a complaint about the state of the local footpaths or is that just how it is? Does anyone have any experience of this? I feel pretty frustrated to have so much wonderful countryside on our doorstep but being stuck in a crappy park because it's not maintained/safe to use.

Yes, I grew up in a tiny village with these kind of footpaths, my parents still live there. Definitely complain about the state of the footpaths to the local parish council. In my experience farmers/land owners hate footpaths and are praying for people to forget they exist. My dad sits on the parish council of my village and tbh, the rest of them hate him because he's always in there with old maps telling the land owners (and people in their pockets) that they must reinstate/refurbish footpaths that have been there for centuries. They hate him for it because they don't like the paths 'imposing' on their land and/or they're hoping to sell off the land for development and it reduces the price and options for re-sale (i.e. housing development).

Also Contact the local ramblers association as they're pretty good at campaigning on footpath issues and if any are bridle paths then also contact local horsiculture people

Having said that, there's not much you can do about the cows. Just be confident, keep dog on lead, might have to go off path to get around them. I appreciate they can be pretty scary though! If you kind of do a 'yaah yaah' at them they tend to skit off. Be careful around young bullocks and cows with calves though.

Don't think the land owner is under any obligation to not plough or plant on a field with a right of way. I know where I walk my dog the dog owners trim back the growth when it gets out of control at the access to a resivoir we use. Currently the grass is waist high and the path is worn down by plenty of use, not maintained that way.

Also he is allowed to have non aggresive cows in his grazing fields. I wouldn't cross with cows though as they are too nosy and big for me!

Not sure there is much you can do.

If the paths are proper public footpaths then you can get in touch with the rights of way officer or the highways department at your local council and report the problem. I believe it's actually an offence for a landowner to not maintain public rights of way to a usable standard.

If the paths are permissive rather than public rights of way there's not much you can do as landowners aren't under any obligation to keep these available for use.

Yes, its very frustrating, same thing happening where we live. So many lovely walks are impossible at this time of year because of overgrown vegetation or cows.
There's a difference between "Permissive Paths" which landowner allows people to use but can withdraw permission when he feels like it, and Public Rights of Way where you are legally allowed to walk whether the landowner likes it or not. advice on what you can do here

That's really useful, thanks everyone. Especially your link catniptea - loads on there about the need to not plough/plant on footpaths and the keep them clear so I think I have a viable complaint! (these are os-marked footpaths so definitely should be maintained). Such a pain about the cows. If I were on my own I'd probably just brazen it out but it's a good 300m next to a barbed wire fence with cows blocking the path the whole way - no way I want to risk it with the baby as I couldn't hop over the fence if needed. There was a death round here last year when a walker was trampled by cows so it must be a known problem!

There seems to be cows all over the place, sure it wasn't the case a few years ago. If I put dog1 on lead he barks and lunges trying to get to them the whole time, same if we go near sheep. Dog2 eats vast quantities of cow poo then shits it out, completely unchanged apart from smellier, all over the lawn. So v stressful walking near cows and best avoided.

Regarding crops - If a field has a foot path through it and it is planted with crops, the farmer must leave a 1m path through the crops so that the footpath can be used.

I know of what I speak - DH is a farmer and always whinging about ramblers and their rights!

In scotland (as far as I know) landowners are paid to maintain rights of way. It's the same here though - fields of cows, beware of the bull signs and on one path enormous boulders which block the whole thing. I can only think that farmers are happy to take the money but actually don't want folk walking there. We have the access act as well which makes it doubly frustrating!

I have the same problems with my dog walk too. The first field we go into has never been maintained, the farmer must have lost about 3 metres of field as he never cuts it back and as the hedges grow further into the field a new footpath is made a few feet over every year! This year I am having to walk right up against the crops as it is the only bit where it is not completely overgrown.
At least with the other fields the farmers cut the hedge back periodically and cut the grass at the end of the season.

Sorry to hear you're all having trouble too. According to catnip's document farmers only get 25% of the costs of maintaining the footpaths, I can see why it annoys them but I also want to use my rights to enjoy the countryside! Sounds like the highways agency is my first port of call so I'll try them and see if they can help.

Have you had a look on the ordinance survey map? It will tell you if the path you are on is a public right of way.

*ordnance

ilovemydog yes, I have an ordnance survey map and they're all marked footpaths - public rights of way. That's what makes it so annoying!

Oh God be really careful walking with your dogs in fields. There've been quite a few cases of people being savaged by cows lately, especially with dogs!

You need to get on to the council then. See if they can make the landowner cut the paths back. We're quite lucky where we are, a lot of the farms have grass margins round their fields. Can't remember why, something to do with weed control or conservation or something

I would not willingly walk with a dog through cows and calves if it was at all possible. Several people are killed this way every year.They cows chase off the dog and the people get in the way.

However it is the farmers land and they are entitled to graze stock on it.Only animals banned are dairy bulls(and animals that are proven to be aggressive,curiosity is not the same as aggression)

I would look up all the possible routes and chose the safest ones. Arable fields are so much nicer and safer to walk on than those with livestock.Bring it to the attention of the council if the the routes are obscured.

Oh and your dog should be kept on a lead/under control on a footpath and its poo picked up as dog poo can pass parasites to cows that cause abortions.

You'll probably find the cows have a routine around the field with the path on it. At certain times of day they won't be anywhere near the path, so you could time your walks. (bit of a faff though!)