Our public footpath - can anyone help??

[duggan]

Don't have any experience i'm afraid, but i'd give your local councillor a visit, politely, and see if you can get him/her onside. Most like to be helpful if you approach them nicely, rather than when it becomes an argument.
Walking in the country is a pleasant experience. Is there anything you can do to make it a little less pleasant for the walkers? Perhaps a new position for the muck heap, legally not on the path but closer to it and a smelly one. Signs up at periods you feel might be busier saying 'liquid muck spreading in progress, we apologise for the smell, please keep to paths to avoid any coverage of yourselves and your dogs'.
If the path isn't a nice one they will use it less. Electric fencing, again legally, but 'awkward'? Stick warnings up, highlight the dangers we all know exist around animals but are not real 'risks'. "Horses wear steel shoes, one kick and your dog may not be around to enjoy your walks with you" type of thing? You are not saying they are dangerous, merely stating a fact.
As said above, be careful of 'being nice' and offering alternatives or you may make a rod for your own back. And fighting legally may affect your sellability should you ever feel the need.
Isn't the world a nasty place at times? Some people really should be shot.

 

[0ldmare]

Heartfelt sympathies to you! I understand a bit what you are going through as I have a bridleway that crosses the far end of my garden, so can be used by walkers as well as riders. Some new riders who had moved to the area decided they didn't like having to open the gate one end of my garden and then another when they left the garden so petitioned the council to have them removed. The council dug up some maps from the year dot before there was a house here (which has been here for 120 years!) and issued an enforcement notice for me to remove them I refused and pointed out both neighbours have sheep and how were they supposed to know they weren't supposed to go through and open gate! Council pressed on with enforcement and only finally conceded when I offered to put in fancy new gates but still threaten that they will enforce the removal if either neighbour gets rid of their sheep.

I've had walkers stop and pick apples in my garden and allow their dogs to poop etc but I'm lucky that the bridleway is very short and a bit pointless to ride and walk so get very few people.

I think spring loaded gates are definitely the way to go. Mine are like that and are about half or third the width of normal gates. The council can supply them. I'd also fence off the bridleway in the field. I looked into diverting mine, but it was going to be a nightmare and thankfully its only ocassionally used.

I really do feel for you, the council couldn't give a flying fig about the landowner

 

[PeterNatt]

I am sorry that you have had so many problems from the users of the rights of way network that cross your land.

I can see the problems from both sides being a BHS volunteer Bridleway officer and trying to maintain and expand the existing network of rights of way that provide horse riders with off road riding.

If one buys a property with Rights of Way running accross the land then there will be consequences. Clearly walkers/dog walkers should behave when using publc footpaths as should horse riders when using bridleways/byways etc.

The rights of way network is a valuable resource and it is unfortunate that a number of people cause unessecary problems.

As stated above it is possible to have routes diverted but it is a lengthy procedure and is only normally approved as a last resort. Unfortunately many farmers/land owners would love to get rid of the bridleays/byways that cross their land and if it was easier for them to do so it would be a disaster for local horse riders.

As regards self-closing gates see this web site:
http://www.centrewire.com/default.htm

 

[Hels_Bells]

Perhaps we should set up some kind of petition to lobby parliament for better rights on this!! Until now I thought I was the only person who suffered badly from this sort of thing, yet it seems like there are quite a few of us!

 

[0ldmare]

Perhaps we should set up some kind of petition to lobby parliament for better rights on this!! Until now I thought I was the only person who suffered badly from this sort of thing, yet it seems like there are quite a few of us!

Good idea!

I have no problem with rights of way in principle and indeed I like and use them, but its the realisation that the land owner has NO rights at all that is so very unfair.

 

[Hels_Bells]

I wonder how rights of way are dealt with in other countries such as Germany, Sandinavia etc? Having visited Germany for example, it seems there is a great deal more respect for the "fellow man" than there is over here...

 

[sms]

Perhaps we should set up some kind of petition to lobby parliament for better rights on this!! Until now I thought I was the only person who suffered badly from this sort of thing, yet it seems like there are quite a few of us!

Everyone I know who has these ROW on their property suffers. The trouble is that most 'walkers' think we are all landowners who were born with a silver spoon in our mouths and have no right to keep the public from enjoying 'their countryside'. They perceive that we all have large swathes of the countryside and are being selfish in wanting to maintain its privacy. Many of us have small pockets of land and were well aware of the footpaths when we bought said land. HOWEVER what we were NOT aware of, is the utter disrespect a huge number of people show when using the ROW. And as the stories demonstrate it is widespread and not a small minority. Even as a rider I will NOT use a bridleway that encroaches upon what I see as someones right to privacy. I may legally be able to ride near someones house but morally I don't think that I have the right to invade their privacy in their own home.
The Ramblers Association is huge and I don't think any government will take them on. Ok its lovely and healthy to be able to access the countryside but there does need to be some common sense and just plain old decency in allowing access that leaves no privacy or security near peoples homes.

 

[BBH]

hello and thanks for reading. its a bit long and garberish but please, if you get the jist or have any advice or positive comments, i'd love to hear from you.

i am looking for any help or advice or any legal experience (if you've been there before) so i can divert or even ''close down'' our public footpath.

we live in a farm in west sussex. we have 7 horses - polo ponies, a labrador, a jack russell, 2 farm cats and two house cats (old) and 10 free range hens. ALL our animals, including the horses, are super friendly and will come and say hello and stand / sit / perch for fuss. non have ever bitten, kicked, snarled, pecked, scratched or shown the slightest bit of aggression. All our animals are brought up with noise, kids, dogs, and chinooks, balloons going overhead.

our farm is down a half mile private lane off a busy-ish country road, this private lane is owned by us and maintained by us. there are also 3 other cottages that run into this lane. the owners of the cottages have a right of way on our lane to get to their houses. Our farm is surrounded on all sides by grazing land of some 30 acres. at the corner of our land ajoining our neighbours farm, a public footpath brings you onto our land, past our pond, through our gates, straight across our front garden, up our drive, 20ft past our outside swimming pool, 2ft past our kitchen window, then turns across our front garden into our 'winter paddock' (of 15 acres) goes alongside our hedge, to join a footpath behind our farm/land and onto another neighbours. the footpath is probably 220 yards long.

three times this year so far some twozzer has left the gate open so all our horses have escaped. thankfully one of our neighbours has phoned me to say "a herd of horses is running along the lane'' another occasion we had them in neighbours fields ... luckily each time i have caught them before they reached the main road. i asked for styles instead of hunting gates and was told ''no way'' by the council. a gate cannot be replaced by anything but a gate on a public footpath.

two of our chickens have also been mauled and died due to dog owners' dogs attacking them. we also have dog crap everywhere (we dont mind standing in our dog crap but walkers dog crap we draw the line at). the dog crap is all over the fields, garden, and one even sat and squatted as i stood next to it on the steps of the swimming pool. i have never seen a dog walker using a lead or picking up poop - and have been verbally assaulted when i asked one dude to pick up his dog crap which one of his three loose dogs did ontop of my molasses horse lick in the field. we have also had dogs leaping in our pool and folk stopping to have a chat when we were having a bbq with the kids.... at each time we have been polite ....we have lived here 43 years.

today i received a letter from the footpath council lady informing me that two people have complained that my horses are ''threatening'' as they all, all 7 of them, approached the walkers, and on one occasion they chased her dogs. the council person said that both complaint letters said the horses were lively and unpredictable and the walkers were scared .. so decided to climb through the fence and walk through our back garden, round the house to go back out the front gate. i remember this day as they also had two dogs, vizla types, who actually ran through my kitchen!!!!

i have now set the wheels in motion to re-locate the footpath to run the opposite end to my house, though the field to ajoin the footpath at the top of my farm. i have asked that it no longer comes up my driveway, past my windows etc and instead have said i will 'fence' in the footpath so no one can be scared anymore of my lifestock, no more chickens will be killed and no one can let the horses out. i have even said they can have my private lane as a footpath, adding a mile extra for the ramblers/walkers/council .. free of charge.

the council person told me today that this will be rejected as ""before walkers only walked up one side of a field, now they have to walk up three"" basically my field is a big square and i am asking that they walk around the field. .... she also told me that am am totally liable for my livestock and if they escape and cause a crash i could be sued. even if someone else has let them free.

i am all for freedom in the countryside ... but now its wearing thin. the footpath is used daily by regular walkers and dogs and occasional walkers/families/dogs on weekends. (at one stage we had a dog walker exercising his 6 dogs with a ''throw ball'' in the field!!! - when i asked him to stop as we didnt want our hay full of crap he said i should stop being such a rich b*tch and why did i hate animals??!!) .. also worth noting all walkers use our lane as footpath as the lane connects two footpaths.... even though we have a sign saying ''private lane''

help. any suggestions???? cannot move horses as its their field, cannot move chickens as no where else suitable. ... what can i do??

I haven't read the replies but I feel your pain as I have a right of way on my land although not nearly as intrusive as yours. Joe public can be a liability to themselves in all honesty, i've even had people detour off the footpath and claim themselves lost when I've found them fishing in the river.

I've also asked about resighting the footpath and it seems to me the council don't want to entertain the idea because as I was told ' the ramblers are a very powerfull force politically' ????. What this has to do with anything I don't know. There is a lot of information on the right of way site re the process of applying for a change but it takes time and IMV designed to out people off.

If my footpath came as close to my property as yours I would do everything in my power to resite it. The argument about walkers walking three fields as opposed to one is silly as they are there in the first place for a walk.

Good luck.

 

[Hels_Bells]

Another point, the CLA (country landowner's association) certainly have designated ROW people available, probably moreso than the NFU. It's probably worth giving them a call even if you aren't a member it might be worth joining if you can get any help from them.

 

[BBH]

Another thing that I can suggest is too make the walk as unattractive as possible. When I bought my property the footpath was full to the brim of builders rubble, very unlevel and overgrown and was virtually underwater with flooding ditches etc. I didn't see a sole. The irony was that I bought off a government body and they weren't concerned about the footpath access then.

Then when I sorted it all out the walkers started coming back

Bad move.

Its all very well saying fence it off, do this do that but fencing over large distances costs thousands.

 

[Elsbells]

Makes you wonder if the previous owner of your land, did this deliberatly and you should of left it?

 

[Spudlet]

How dashed inconsiderate of the plebians to want to walk on a public right of way. Don't they know their place?

 

[BBH]

How dashed inconsiderate of the plebians to want to walk on a public right of way. Don't they know their place?

Thats a silly comment to make.

You obviously have never had to deal with the problems / issues some of the public cause. No-one has said ban walkers totally but what we do want is people to keep to the designated footpaths and behave responsibly.

I've had post n rail ripped down for people to make fires with while they sip from their lager cans and no they didn't take the mess away, people fishing in my river, dogs all over the place, joggers in florescents running right through the field, mentally handicapped man staring into space talking to the ditch fgs it never ends.

 

[BBH]

Makes you wonder if the previous owner of your land, did this deliberatly and you should of left it?

LOL well the previous owners were the highways agency and as such you'd think they would have left functioning sty's and the footpath clear of debris and passable. It was annoying to think its alright for a government body to not adhere to the ROW requirements and as soon as it was in private hands the council came acalling saying we want this that and the other done.

 

[minkymoo]

On a brighter note, my best friend has a publice foot path run right through her horses fields and she did manage to get it diverted inbetween 2 of her fields, it did mean that people have to walk down her driveway, but considering it used to be infront of her kitchen window, is a massive improvement.

As my dad says, it is the squeaky wheel that gets oiled. Keep writing & writing & writing to the council. Make a nuisance of yourself (in that respect!) and don't give up!

I feel for you, I really do, there is no respect for other people any more, and there are always going to be those that ruin it for others on both sides

 

[BBH]

http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=2226829bdd11e7e77d1ab0e1b82d3df



OP - You could have a look on this forum or post a note. It seems to be specifically for ROW issues.

 

[Kat]

I'd like to speak on behalf of walkers. *dons tin hat*

I have gone out walking/hiking/hillwalking/rambling since I was a small child, about as long as i have been horse riding and I think that the behaviour described is disgraceful. It makes me ashamed.

Since I was very small I have had the countrycode drummed into me at every opportunity and I live by it when walking in the country.

Personally I hate using footpaths that go through farmyards or gardens and past peoples windows it makes me feel very uncomfortable and often puts you at risk of meeting a loose farm dog which is often not a pleasent experience. I often wonder why some of these footpaths are not diverted as it would be more pleasent for everyone to be able to skirt round the farm yard. I would suggest that even if the council won't entertain diverting the footpath it might be worth offering a permissive route that avoids your home, I bet many would rather walk round a field and avoid your house. You could put up a sign that says it is permissive but takes a route which avoids disturbance to you and aims to be more pleasent for the walkers. I try to respect the owners of any land I walk over and as such I would be happy to take such an option. You will get some people walking the original route to ensure that it remains open but it should reduce traffic.

I would also suggest requesting the gates be changed for kissing gates or gates on a self closer as these cannot be left open. They are fine for footpaths, although not so good on bridlepaths.

I would also ensure that paths are well signed and visible. I will always try to keep to proper paths but it isn't always easy to see where they go and sometimes you end up taking a bit of a guess even if you are armed with a map and compass it is occasionally difficult to work out where you should be. I walk with a very experienced walker/climber who is accredited to teach and lead expeditions and has climbed and hiked all over the world. He reckons that navigating through farmland in the dales can be more challenging than navigating in the caingorms or alps! We have in the past stood in a field surrounded by inquisitive bullocks with map and compass in hand trying to figure out which side of a fence we should be! I have also overheard ignorant walkers saying that if a path isn't sufficiently signposted then it is the farmers own fault if walkers stray - not something I agree with but worth considering.

I would make sure that the path is fenced, if it is fenced it will discourage them from picnicing etc. It also prevents then coming into contact with your animals.

A few signs reminding walkers of their duties probably wouldn't go a miss either.

Might be worth writing to the local rambling groups. Not just the Ramblers Association, but local independant groups too, keep it friendly and ask them to help you by keeping an eye out for irresponsible walkers, gates left open etc. You could also ask them whether they would be willing to support an application to divert the footpath, or whether they would consider using a permissive path instead. With a friendly approach you might be surprised that they are willing to help you out.

Good luck, hope you get this sorted, this sort of thing does annoy me, irresponsible walkers (and cyclists and horse riders on bridlepaths) spoil everyone's enjoyment of the countryside. It is such a shame that we can't all get on.

 

[Kat]

Alternatively you could set up tea rooms and make a profit from them if there really is that much traffic!!!

Would love to know where you are that the paths are that busy, must have some seriously nice views or something to attract so many walkers - it sounds like dovedale on a sunny bank holiday weekend!

 

[leonh]

Totally agree that, well, Nation of Ar*****s basically, but, why did you feel the need to build everything next to a public footpath, didn't you understand the word "public" when you bought the place and went building swimming pools etc etc next to it !!

thanks for all replies - really, really REALLY helped ... am now back dating my ''log book'' of incidents, camera ready and going to write down all that happens etc .... and am also looking into the sheep idea ... very clever!...

our farm is over 800 years old ... in fact its in the doomsday book .... we are listed and so cannot move a thing (including the stone built swimming pool). the original footpaths were infact ''shortcuts'' across our land for people who worked on our farm hundreds and hundreds of years ago .... over time they were used by family of the workers, and like all ''rights of way'' .. if the ''public'' has used them over time they become legal ''highways'' .. at the time only a handful used them to get to work etc ... we have maps dating back to 1831 which shows the footpath linking all the original farmland (250 acres) before it was sold off in chunks about 100 yrs ago ...... so we didnt built anything next to a footpath. the farm has been in our family for 100 years. my husband took it over 43 yrs ago from his parents who still live here, albeit in the converted ''old cow block''.... sounds terrible but its lovely.

10 yrs ago we noticed more city/town folk using the routes and its slowly increased. country/animal people understand to close gates and keep dogs under control .... unfortunatly the local weekenders dont ... past 3 yrs been a nightmare ... we've had groups of cubs and scouts at 11pm at night doing ''scary walks'' ... (campsite a mile away) .. and literally 20 ramblers coming through at 6am ... embarressing for me in dressing gown feeding chickens ..... we have even had, due to no styles or kissing gates, horseriders - even tho not a bridle path - one crazy woman was riding her hunter leading her two kids on exmoor ponies through the field - with all our 7 in the field too!!! when i told her she was irresponsible riding through a private field of horses that she didnt know with her kids she looked at me blankly and said her horses were trained to get on with all horses ... couldnt at all see the danger ... lucky that mine are chilled and were some distance away not to see her .. otherwise there would have been squeals and excitement and i am sure, a few bucks, broncs and kicks!!!!

 

[Kat]

thanks for all replies - really, really REALLY helped ... am now back dating my ''log book'' of incidents, camera ready and going to write down all that happens etc .... and am also looking into the sheep idea ... very clever!...

our farm is over 800 years old ... in fact its in the doomsday book .... we are listed and so cannot move a thing (including the stone built swimming pool). the original footpaths were infact ''shortcuts'' across our land for people who worked on our farm hundreds and hundreds of years ago .... over time they were used by family of the workers, and like all ''rights of way'' .. if the ''public'' has used them over time they become legal ''highways'' .. at the time only a handful used them to get to work etc ... we have maps dating back to 1831 which shows the footpath linking all the original farmland (250 acres) before it was sold off in chunks about 100 yrs ago ...... so we didnt built anything next to a footpath. the farm has been in our family for 100 years. my husband took it over 43 yrs ago from his parents who still live here, albeit in the converted ''old cow block''.... sounds terrible but its lovely.

10 yrs ago we noticed more city/town folk using the routes and its slowly increased. country/animal people understand to close gates and keep dogs under control .... unfortunatly the local weekenders dont ... past 3 yrs been a nightmare ... we've had groups of cubs and scouts at 11pm at night doing ''scary walks'' ... (campsite a mile away) .. and literally 20 ramblers coming through at 6am ... embarressing for me in dressing gown feeding chickens ..... we have even had, due to no styles or kissing gates, horseriders - even tho not a bridle path - one crazy woman was riding her hunter leading her two kids on exmoor ponies through the field - with all our 7 in the field too!!! when i told her she was irresponsible riding through a private field of horses that she didnt know with her kids she looked at me blankly and said her horses were trained to get on with all horses ... couldnt at all see the danger ... lucky that mine are chilled and were some distance away not to see her .. otherwise there would have been squeals and excitement and i am sure, a few bucks, broncs and kicks!!!!

Well you can't actually restrict access to a public right of way at any time, so the scouts and the early morning ramblers have every right to be there. All you can do is appeal to peoples good nature. I would suggest a permissive footpath that is a diversion away from the bits you wish to keep private and a sign asking that people use it wherever possible, and particularly before 9am and after 7pm. Make it polite, sign it heavily (include the word permissive and state that you reserve the right to close the path in the small print) and publicise it, ask your local paper to put something in, send it to local ramblers groups and to the local camp sites B&Bs etc and ask them to let people know.

The thing is that if you take your scout group camping away from your local area, you probably plan your "scary walk" from maps without really realising that you might be traipsing through someones back garden whilst on the footpath. Once they get there what can they do? Likewise very early morning ramblers are likely to be camping or walking a long trail (pennine way, coast to coast etc) if they are out that early rather than locals not giving a hoot who they disturb. At the end of the day the usual social norms should apply, if you are walking a footpath at 11pm or 6am you should be quiet and not peer through windows just like you would if you walked along a pavement on a residential street. On the otherhand, if you don't want people to see you in your PJs put up curtains and don't wear them out of the house. I can't complain about people walking to the bus stop seeing me in my pjs if I choose to step outside wearing them or to walk around without closing the curtains.

The horse rider is just irresponsible, rude and tresspassing, she shouldn't be on a footpath and has no right to be there however well behaved her horses are. No excuse.

I'm still intrigued about how busy this path is, honestly, I don't see this kind of traffic on major routes in the peak district like the penine way or the derwent valley heritage way, even on a sunny bank holiday, and in winter or any day but sunday you are often lucky to see another soul! Is you path in a guidebook perhaps? Or providing a circular walk that takes in a popular "honeypot" type location???

 

[madlady]

Nothing constructive to add only I really do hope you get it sorted.

I would say that a proposed diversion that doesn't leave dog muck on private land - and lets face it, when the walkers step off the footpath they are on private land - should be a fair proposal for all.

After all it isn't as if you are asking for the footpath to be scrapped completely, just diverted.

We had a footpath running through our old field and regularly had people chucking balls for their dogs all over our field where the horses were, I filmed a couple of incidents where people were clearly letting their dogs foul and were way off the footpath and the local council dealt with it.

 

[ihatework]

Sounds like a complete nightmare!

In your shoes I would do as KK suggests and try and get on side with the local ramblers association, to put it crudely, a bit of @rse licking. Invite them to work with you to design an alternative permissive route, and hopefully they will then give you their support with a permenant re-route.

In the interim, keep your incident log and badger the council non stop to replace the access gates with kissing gates.

Scatter polite notices around the place too, and if you are willing, fence off the paths where possible (although I appreciate that gets expensive)

If you can find a local planner/land manager that has council connections it maybe worth getting them to consult for you.

FWIW, one of my dg walk routes takes you through a short section of a lovely manicured lawn, around the edge of someones pond and through their private garden. I always feel really uncomfortable walking that stretch and would be delighted to have a re-route alternative.

 

[HoHum]

What Ihatework says... I am currently making an application to divert part of a path - it currently runs through the middle some industrial workings and we are proposing an alternative route, which is a bit longer, but a lot more pleasant, and also provides more links to circular walks and other RoW. I found that initially the Ramblers Association was a bit hostile as RoW, especially as they believe really old historic ones, should be protected at all cost. However, after a few site meetings, they seem to be able to see that the new route would be much nicer. We have also had the Parish Councils out and they seemed to come to the same conclusion. There is also a group called Open Spaces Society which may have an input. Ideally if you make an application for diversion and all these groups are on side, and you get no objections, it makes it very difficult ( but of course not impossible!) for the Council to refuse the application. The Council employees are (with no disrespect intended) public servants, and if you can show that the "public" doesn't mind your diversion, it will help immensely.
One further point - could the diverted route be a bridleway? If you could offer this upgrade and it would link with others, this would be even more brownie points.

 

[olop]

At my old yard we had a bridlepath that went right through the middle of our field - cue the horses going absolutely manic everytime somebody tried to ride through. There were instances of the gate left being open (the gate opened onto quite a busy country lane) & the horses were frequently getting out.

The YO had it diverted so it went around the perimetre of the field & also had it fences & surfaced so that riders could use it safely & go for a good blast (the track then became almost 4 times the length it was originally) I'm not sure how he went about doing it though, I think he had to make a case of instances & provide details of how it would be of benefit to those using it & put it to the council. Not sure if he just went ahead & did it or whether he got permission as there were never any signs up or anything

Hope you get some response, must be a complete nightmare, really sympathise for you.

 

[lilaclomax]

I know someone with a footpath running through their field and like you over the last 5/6 years the amount of rubbish, faeces and trespassing has increased from a couple of incidents to constant problems until...
They spent a large investment into new fencing running on either side of the footpath with the track wide enough to meet the council's requirements, they electrified 4 strands of wire on the outside of the fence to stop dogs running through (with all the required signs) and had to add in a couple of gates so they can move the horses to the other side when needed (both padlocked).

The biggest change in 'walkers' are those from the local area who use to use the field as an exercise area for their dogs... they now go elsewhere and the genuine few ramblers pass through without any problems.

Are you able to fence across the field and bottom of your garden along the original footpath? That way it may dramatically reduce the number of people that use the route as a convenience... I do feel for you.

 

[mistmountain]

Another thing that I can suggest is too make the walk as unattractive as possible. When I bought my property the footpath was full to the brim of builders rubble, very unlevel and overgrown and was virtually underwater with flooding ditches etc. I didn't see a sole. The irony was that I bought off a government body and they weren't concerned about the footpath access then.
.

May I just point out that this is pretty much illegal:

• Misleading signs - It is an offence for anyone to place a notice on or near a Public Right of Way which is likely to deter people from using the route. Failure to comply may lead to prosecution.
• Obstructions - Landowners and occupiers should refrain from obstructing any Public Right of Way on their land. Failure to do so will result in Cornwall County Council taking action against them.
• Overhanging vegetation - The landowner or occupier has a duty to lop or cut back side growth and overhanging vegetation to ensure that the use of public Rights of Way is not impeded.
•
• Surfacing a Right of Way - A landowner and occupier should seek authorisation by contacting the Countryside Service, before altering the surface of a Public Right of way. Failure to do so may result in the surface having to be reinstated at the cost of the landowner and or occupier

This information is available on every council website as far as I can see: I happen to have copied it from the Cornwall one.

I know you said the previous owner was a government body: ironic, as you say, but it's not the route to go down.

OP, please don't think I have no sympathy for your situation as it sounds as though you've had a bunch of yobs passing through. People who won't pick up their dog's poo on someone else's garden are just despicable. As in so many cases, it's a small number of selfish people spoiling it for everyone else.

 

[JennBags]

Alternatively you could set up tea rooms and make a profit from them if there really is that much traffic!!!

Would love to know where you are that the paths are that busy, must have some seriously nice views or something to attract so many walkers - it sounds like dovedale on a sunny bank holiday weekend!

Derbyshire is VERY different to West Sussex...even the Pennine Way...we have people everywhere! I have walked in Derbyshire, and trust me, Sussex is far far busier. Our country-side area is much smaller, and we have a lot more people living here.

Kissing gates/self-closing gates would be my recommendation too.

 

[Kat]

OP didn't say where she was that was why I was intrigued. The Peak District is the most visited national park in europe, so pretty busy with walkers but you'd only see the sort of numbers the OP is talking about on a tiny number of multi purpose tracks like those round reservoirs or converted railway lines. These are popular because of the excellent surface making them suitable for cycling, running, walking, riding, and even roller skating, the parking and facilities like bike hire, toilets and cafes as well as interesting "features" to see while you are out. They also don't require any country sense or skills as they are well marked out and measured out. The average track through farmland is typically pretty deserted, even on sunny sundays in the school holidays. Dovedale can be rammed full of picnicing families with pushchairs and dogs, paddling in the river, playing music , and dropping litter but just ten minutes up a side trail and you can be all on your own.

I wonder whether the OP is actually pretty close to a small commuter town or village and the problems she is having are not "proper walkers" but "dog walkers", "joggers", "shortcutters" etc who have a regular route that is a certain distance from home and back. In my experience they are a very different breed! A lot will be discouraged if you fence the route so that they can't let their dogs off the lead for a run. Alternatively some prominant signs threatening to shoot loose dogs.....

 

[Brownmare]

How dashed inconsiderate of the plebians to want to walk on a public right of way. Don't they know their place?

Spudlet - I'm really surprised at you If every walker was as responsible and considerate as I'm sure you are (and the posts you have written about your dog training certainly do give that impression ) then nobody would have a problem with them. On the other hand if somebody walked through your garden and left your gate open letting your dog into the road then I'm sure you would be livid - and that is exactly what these people are feeling, except in their case it isn't trespass and they just have to put up with it.

Generally I'm really happy to share our farm with walkers and have even been known to invite people in to see our piglets / lambs / horses etc but on the other hand I WILL NOT stand by and watch my animals be put in danger by any ignoramus who thinks he has the right to drop litter, leave gates open and let his uncontrolled dogs attack anything in sight.

 

[Dolcé]

Spudlet - I'm really surprised at you If every walker was as responsible and considerate as I'm sure you are (and the posts you have written about your dog training certainly do give that impression ) then nobody would have a problem with them. On the other hand if somebody walked through your garden and left your gate open letting your dog into the road then I'm sure you would be livid - and that is exactly what these people are feeling, except in their case it isn't trespass and they just have to put up with it.

Generally I'm really happy to share our farm with walkers and have even been known to invite people in to see our piglets / lambs / horses etc but on the other hand I WILL NOT stand by and watch my animals be put in danger by any ignoramus who thinks he has the right to drop litter, leave gates open and let his uncontrolled dogs attack anything in sight.

I think that says it all really, I have had people swearing at me and even threatening me on one occasion because they have been asked to either put their dog on a lead or to stop their dog chasing my ponies. Admittedly the one who threatened me was a little shaken up because his out of control dog had chased 3 wound up ponies smack into the middle of his family group and nearly trampled his kids! He didn't like it when I told him to go and let his dog chase the ponies at the next yard so the owner would shoot it!

I don't think it is 'ramblers' who cause the problem, although they can be inconvenient. We have problems with locals who bring their dogs into the fields with balls, sticks etc and stand throwing them towards the horses. We have those who are terrified of horses so choose to walk in the 'private' fields and then get abusive when you tell them not to. The ones who constantly cut the fences to get through into the other fields, open gates between fields and let the horses into the growing winter fields etc are just as annoying. Unfortunately 'joe public' completely misunderstood the 'right to roam' and think it means they can go where they want regardless of who it belongs to. I used to rent a lovely 8 acre field that I eventually gave up just because of the abuse from the dog walkers, it was taken over by a man with 'gypsy' origins, after several dogs died of some sort of mysterious illness after walking there he had no problems at all! That field had a ROW literally across one corner about 25 metres long yet I constantly had to approach people who felt they had a right to walk the whole way around the field in the opposite direction to the footpath.