Footpath issues

[Nickydp81]

Hello everyone,

newbie here Just wondering if anyone else has had any issues with walkers on a footpath going through your horses field?
We have a footpath through the bottom of ours which crosses a small stream (just over a foot wide). The past week someone has been leaving planks across the stream but the most worrying part is that on the two separate occasions, the planks have each contain nails. The nail is yesterday’s discovery was protruding roughly 2 inches. I have removed the planks each time and a tyre. Photographs have been taken. What would be the best course of action to keep everyone safe and the horse?
Thank you

 

[TheMule]

I have a very busy footpath running through my field. I fenced it in- got loads of complaints but it was done legally and it keeps everyone safe.

 

[Nickydp81]

I have a very busy footpath running through my field. I fenced it in- got loads of complaints but it was done legally and it keeps everyone safe.

Thank you for replying. Yeah, I think that’s may be what we will have to do. It’s annoying as will lose a portion of the field all because someone doesn’t wear appropriate footwear or just steps over. Shame.

 

[splashgirl45]

Could you either fence it off or put a couple of planks across yourself then you know there won’t be any nails poking through

 

[cauda equina]

Would it be feasible to pipe the stream where the fp crosses it, and put a stop to anyone thinking they need to make their own arrangements?
I was going to suggest plamks too, but then you have the possibility that someone will slip off and say they were injured

 

[Nickydp81]

Could you either fence it off or put a couple of planks across yourself then you know there won’t be any nails poking through

I think we will have no option but to fence it off until we can sort something out with the highway authority. We are reluctant to put anything down as we would be liable if someone was to trip/slip and injure themselves.

 

[splashgirl45]

I suppose you could leave the planks at the side and take a photo so you haven’t actually provided a way over the stream and it’s their choice

 

[Nickydp81]

Would it be feasible to pipe the stream where the fp crosses it, and put a stop to anyone thinking they need to make their own arrangements?
I was going to suggest plamks too, but then you have the possibility that someone will slip off and say they were injured

Yeah that’s the trouble. We would be liable. The pipe is a good idea. Will have to get hold of the highway authority. Thank you

 

[Nickydp81]

I suppose you could leave the planks at the side and take a photo so you haven’t actually provided a way over the stream and it’s their choice

If I come across whoever is leaving them, I say that they are welcome to leave them at the fields edge out of the way in a safe place but not to leave them down until we either fence it off or pipe the stream.

 

[criso]

Do the walkers have to cross the stream to walk the footpy, if so you'll probably have to check your responsibilities for making sure the footpath is accessible. While the steam may be easy for you to step over, obviously someone struggled and put planks so could possibly argue it's not passable. But as said you need to be careful no one slips, so best to check the best approach.

There are a couple of similar situations on some footpaths I use regularly, one isn't even a proper stream but a muddy dip, but it has a bridge, no sides but the planks. They have wire on the wood to make them less slippery.

 

[honetpot]

In our village we have a footpath that runs along one side inside the 'horse field'. It was fenced off then, when the fence became to dangerous for horses in there taken down and the woodchip surface removed. It's quite obvious from the chat on the village FB page that they see the whole field as theirs, they do not have to put their dogs on leads, and want to restrict what can be turned out on there. This is a very expensive solution, but sometimes its the only way for people to get the message

I would use clipex, and make sure to have good third party insurance including legal fees.

 

[Clodagh]

Speak to the parish council, they should have a footpath officer who can help and advise.

 

[Nickydp81]

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions. I will speak to my mum who is the landowner and offer her the suggestions.

 

[limestonelil]

Also worth mentioning to mum in case she doesn't know, (I didnt know definitely until last month, partly due to National Park fudging the issue,) that dogs only have right to be on the line of the footpath itself, as do walkers.

 

[Odyssey]

If it's not a silly suggestion, could you not remove the nails from the planks (if it's possible to do so), even as a temporary measure?

 

[Fransurrey]

If it's not a silly suggestion, could you not remove the nails from the planks (if it's possible to do so), even as a temporary measure?

This seems the easiest option, or put a couple of railway sleepers across, covered in chicken wire, for grip. A nice option, but probably most expensive, would be to pipe as someone suggested, making a mound above the pipe. It could be quite a feature! For labour you could always ask for help from locals, as it's probably one of them struggling to cross.

 

[Goldenstar]

Fencing in a ROW is by far the best way to deal with it. You can also apply to move them for example so they run the edge of a field that’s does take a bit of effort .
I was involved with the BHS supporting people who wished to reroute round farmyards and that sort of thing .
Later I helped friends who lived on a bridle way in a very remote house in the hills ( the house will be have been a shelter for travellers originally) work to get this very historic route diverted away from the house . It was extremely interesting the right to family life and the historic nature all where in play in this one they got to stage of negotiations about the how the proposed diverted route was to be constructed when one of them got a new job and they had to move the next owner completed the process and the path is now round the edge of the property in the area nearest to the house .

Alternatively apply to council, explain the issue and ask them to provide a suitable crossing .
It won’t be quick it took ages to get a bridge built on a well used bridleway when I was involved with one .

 

[SantaVera]

If you put out planks and someone slips and hurts themselves would you be liable? Maybe putting up a camera to catch whoever is putting the wood down might help if you recognise the person then you could speak to them about how dangerous it is to leave nails in.

 

[Orangehorse]

Ask the Council to put in a suitable crossing, then it is their responsibility.

If someone is on a Right of Way then it is the Highway and therefore there is no liability to the landowner, but obviously the landowner can't put in an unsafe structure, and if they wander off the ROW then the landowner has a duty of care, including trespassers.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Could you either fence it off or put a couple of planks across yourself then you know there won’t be any nails poking through

Don't put wood down yourself. If someone slips and hurts themselves, you could be held liable. I would fence the footpath on both sides, so that your horses can't get onto it. Can the horses cross the stream anywhere else? You will probably need signs pointing out where the footpath is, rather than allowing the general public to wander all over your field. Where did they find the wood? Surely they don't bring planks with them?

 

[PeterNatt]

I have had a similar issue so in cobination with the Rights of Way Team of the local County Council and the Environment Department we had a bridge built with kissing gates so that the horses could not cross the bridge. No problems at all and everyone very happy.

 

[MereChristmas]

I think Councils have a Rights of Way officer ( titles may differ)
I would contact them and explain the dangers caused by the planks and ask for urgent attention
Take photos of the stream and the planks if they are replaced by walkers and send them too
Make sure you email or write as well as phoning or messaging and keep copies of everything

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hello everyone,

newbie here Just wondering if anyone else has had any issues with walkers on a footpath going through your horses field?
We have a footpath through the bottom of ours which crosses a small stream (just over a foot wide). The past week someone has been leaving planks across the stream but the most worrying part is that on the two separate occasions, the planks have each contain nails. The nail is yesterday’s discovery was protruding roughly 2 inches. I have removed the planks each time and a tyre. Photographs have been taken. What would be the best course of action to keep everyone safe and the horse?
Thank you

We have one crosses our drive that is it, our right fenced off the footpath which crosses their field. Dog walkers( around her) think it is their right to walk anywhere across the fields if they are not cordoned off. One even had picniikers in it.

Sorry but if had a footpath I would cordone it off.

one yard I was had I saw a couple walking down the middle field between the horse fields separated by a metal fence. I said excuse me i can i help you, just wondered what you are doing. Some feeble excuse about walking, so I said please stick to the footpath you are trespassing, the footpath goes straight across the bottom not down towards the stable yard/

 

[FestiveG]

We had an interesting conversation with a couple who believed that the gap between our electric fence and our drystone wall was fenced to allow people to use it as a right of way! They never did explain how they thought they were going to get out of the fields.

 

[Parrotperson]

Wait what? Someone is carrying planks on a walk with them to cross the stream?

cos that’s not odd at all!

 

[teapot]

Wait what? Someone is carrying planks on a walk with them to cross the stream?

cos that’s not odd at all!

I did jury service once, quite a nasty case, and all I wanted to know was why the defendent had a couple of 2 by 4 pieces wedged in next to the gear stick in their car

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I have a very busy footpath running through my field. I fenced it in- got loads of complaints but it was done legally and it keeps everyone safe.

I bet the complaints were from the dog walkers because they could not wander where they like, tough you have to do it otherwise it leaves your horses open to dogs chasing them.

 

[criso]

Wait what? Someone is carrying planks on a walk with them to cross the stream?

cos that’s not odd at all!

I assumed it was someone who regularly walks that route and was struggling to step easily over the stream so decided to fix it themselves.

However one thing that did occur to me was it could be cyclists who shouldn't be on a footpath but often are as it would save them having to stop and lift their bike over.

 

[Julia0803]

Also worth mentioning to mum in case she doesn't know, (I didnt know definitely until last month, partly due to National Park fudging the issue,) that dogs only have right to be on the line of the footpath itself, as do walkers.

Wish the blooming walkers round here would pay attention to the above!!

We have two footpaths running through our field. The field is square. One path goes from top right corner to top left corner, with kissing gates (and wouldn’t be too onerous to fence off) but the other goes from midway across the bottom in a slightly diagonal line to the top left corner, joining the other path.

We have dog walkers letting their dogs offlead all over the field and crap everywhere. We regularly find dog toys presumably lost in the long grass. My pony took his muzzle off in the autumn and I couldn’t find it in the dark. I couldn’t find it the next day (field is about 11 acres and grass was still pretty long, hence the muzzle) but the day after that I went hunting again… found it completely destroyed, chewed to bits, including the field safe headcollar. I was furious as it was a flexible fillies one so £££!

They have also made their own path, now completely worn in, with no grass growing so it looks like a path, from the gate at the bottom, around the edge, up the right hand side of the field, to join up to that gate- absolutely not a path. Signs telling them not too/no public right of way don’t make any difference. And when you catch them and politely but firmly point this out, they shrug, or claim they didn’t know! (It’s amazing how the majority of adults seem to be illiterate in our well to do village!)

We have had loose dogs that owners couldn’t catch end up on the yard on multiple occasions. Almost always the same… ‘he doesn’t chase horses so I thought it was ok..’…. ‘I looked around and no horses were in the field so I thought he could run around and play fetch..’.

I sound like a proper stereotypical grumpy old farmer!! ‘Get off my land!!!’ (Except of course it’s not my land really, I’m only a livery!)

 

[Parrotperson]

I did jury service once, quite a nasty case, and all I wanted to know was why the defended had a couple of 2 by 4 pieces wedged in next to the gear stick in their car

. Well indeed!