Bridleway through farmers field?

The BHS website has loads of info and downloadable pamphlets on this subject. If the Bridleway/footpath is there, and goes across the field, the farmer has to, by law, reinstate the pathway in a given amount of time after ploughing and planting. Farmers know this and generally work with it. This is not antagonistic, it is the law!! The farmer can apply to have the path moved legally to go around the field edge, and unless this has been done, riders and walkers shouldn't use the field edge but should stick to the original PROW even if it does go across the field. Many councils have a PROW Officer who should get the matter sorted, or perhaps there's a local bridleway group, and the BHS website should have details of these groups.
 
PeterNatt said:
In some cases it is difficult to determine who the landowner/farmer is so a direct approach may be difficult.

The first thing to do is to contact the Access Department of your local county council and advise them of the problem. They will be able to determine if the route is on the definitive map as a bridleway or greater stratus in which case you can ride it. Once determined it is a public right of way the enforcement officer can contact the landowner/farmer and advise him/her to re-instate the public right of way. (A bridleway that crosses a field should be legally re-instated within 2 weeks of ploughing the field up and a path maintained while the crops are growing). Please note that a bridleway that goes around the edge of a field may not be ploughed up. Landowners/Farmers will know were the public rights of way are on their land (this will come out in the search when they purchase the land) but because some of them use contractors then the information is not passed on to the contractor.

Peter Natt - BHS Access Officer - North Hertfordshire
Click to expand...

Brill, thanks for that. Just checked my local councils website and found the definitive map. I didn't even know it existed! Will be great for arranging rides, bike rides and walks.
 
I am a farmer. The route of the bridlepath is just as much a road as the lane going past your front door. The land underneath the bridlepath is owned by the farmer, but not the bridlepath on top - try explaining this to an angry farmer who doesn't like to see hoofprints! But it is a fact. That is why there are no SFP on rights of way across farmers' fields.

So long as you are 100% certain of the route of the bridlepath - as seen on the County Council Definitive Map, and not relying on the OS maps which are sometimes inaccurate - you have a perfect right to ride straight across the field. You may choose to ride round the edge of the field, because if a bridlepath is blocked by anything - growing crop, wired up gate - you again have the right to find a way round. However, this does take courage and certain knowledge of the law.

This is why a footpath/bridlepath that goes across a field should be shown by at the miniumum with a tractor being driven across it, or being sprayed out.
 
OP - if you can, go with a parent/friend and speak to the landowner in question before speaking to the powers that be - landowners are likely to be a lot more cooperative if you speak the them directly.

We are currently in the process of diverting one of our bridleways - a few local horse riders came to see us to say that it was proving incredibly difficult to ride through recently cultivated fields with horses and they were losing shoes. We also didn't like spraying a track through the middle of a field to agreed it would be better to leave an uncultivated strip down the side of the field. By having a conversation between the landowners and users you can usually achive a much happier outcome for both parties than by going through your local authority, who often don't have much tact for management.
 
A landowner can use Express Dedication to create a new bridlepath - but this is not always popular with the County Council who have to maintain bridlepaths, and can also leave the old bridlepath on the definitive map, unless the landowner pays for extinguishment. However, Express Dedication has been used with great success in the Somerset/Mendip area.

See Trails Trust - http://www.thetrailstrust.org.uk/

The Trails Trust has published a booklet on how this is done, and it has been endorsed by a Government Minister.
 
I don't want to hijack this threat but whilst we are on the subject of bridleways...!!

There is a bridleway I would be really keen to use but I can't because a large field in the middle of it has been ring fenced with electric. I don't want to annoy the farmer but would like to be able to ride through there. Do I just take the fence posts out, walk over them and then put them back up again?

The other very irritating thing is that just before electric fenced field is a bridge with 2 of those gates with the pull lever that you can do on a horse. However the gates open out from the bridge and the bridge isn't wide enough for you to turn round on so you have to get off, tie your horse up to something, run back over bridge to shut the gate at the far end then shut the other one and then get back on. They don't swing back and shut for you. It almost seems as though they've done it so you get fed up and don't bother riding on it!!
 
First make 100% sure that it is a bridlepath by looking on the Council's Definitive Map.
If it is, then yes, you do have the right to take down the fence and walk over it as you suggest, but I would personally not want to do that for practical reasons, like getting an electric shock! Best to contact the Council and ask for the CC officer who is responsible for this area and ask them to contact the landowner.
This is an illegal blockage. Also get your local BHS Bridleways officer involved.
 
I was always told that where footpaths were concerned, even if it went across a field, if there was a crop standing you were required to walk around the edge (frankly, who wants to walk through waist high wet barley anyway???) so that is what I would also do on a bridleway. It shows consideration to the farmer while maintaining the ROW. Also, supposing he had sprayed the field the day before and it got into the horse's blood system or they were allergic?
 
I have just written to our bridleway people to ask them the best thing to do. And complain about the gates. Look forward to hearing what they've got to say!!
 
No-one is "required to go round the edge." The route of the bridlepath/footpath should be clearly marked, either because it is used so much that it is obvious, or the farmer should take steps to mark it out. Some councils are more proactive than others on this. We used to get a reminder letter, in which case there would be no warning if the Council undertook to clear the path and send us the bill. Due to budget cuts there is less money for the ROW departments, so they not so proactive. If there is a complaint the local CC officer will come round or send a letter - but since our footpaths are clearly marked we don't get into trouble.
 
Thank you Orangehorse for backing me up a bit.
I didnt suggest going straight galloping through a farmers crop with carefree abandon.
Those who red my post missed the parts that mentioned remembering your manners and perhaps leaving the bridleway alone until after harvest.
However as you are a farmer you know the law regarding ROW,perhaps then i may have been right to say stick to the path or risk the rath of a farmer.
which ever route you choose if the farmer doesnt like the whole idea of the bridleway crossing his land in the first place he will confront the rider in question in the hope of putting them off doing it again,and im talking from experience
Years ago i was riding with my friends on a well used bridleway when we came around a corner to be confronted with a group of council workers laying a gravel surface on part of the bridleway. The person in charge of the workers came over telling us that this was being improved for walkers and it would be open to them at easter and we had better not ride here. I said that this was a bridlepath and his reply was i should tell all my friends not to ride here anymore, i replied that even the local riding school bring rides through here
He replied that i should do as instructed as he was official and i shouldnt answer back
I of course never took any notice of this man, and i believe that horses still use this bridleway as well as walkers and motorbikes so its all churned up again. More of a bog than a path really
How different it would have been if i had listened, we would have lost another bridleway.
We have so many we can afford to loose some. I dont think so
USE IT OR LOOSE IT
 
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