Video Problems hacking in Ayrshire

[SMF1]

Hi All,

I've had some problems riding along a local road in East Ayrshire. The residents of one particular house up the road we hack along have expressed their disapproval at us riding along the road they believe they own. I have contacted the BHS local officer, Scotways and my local Access officer from the council. They have all confirmed that they don't see any issue with riding along it, and that it is part of the core paths network and they don't believe it to be a private road. This is only part of the video where he verbally abuses me, pushes my horse after being repeatedly told not to touch him and swears at me. They haven't expressed concern on a particular subject wether it would be the horses droppings on the road (not that they have poo'd along it yet..) but they just seem to believe that they are not allowing to hack along it.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[teddypops]

I would get written confirmation from whoever you spoke to about the road not being privately owned and put it through their door as requested. He will probably back down then if he has been proved wrong.

 

[HeyMich]

If he is being abusive and physically pushing your horse, it is a matter for the police. Access rights or not, that is not acceptable.

 

[SusieT]

I would ring the police non emergency number during working ohurs, advise them of the trouble you are having and ask them to go an ask him not to harass you. I would continue filming also.

 

[bonny]

I would do your best to ignore him, trot past if you can and not engage in any more conversation. You are in the right and he is an total arse. Can you tell I have no time for people like that ?

 

[SMF1]

 

[bonny]

You have every right to ride there and he has no right to try and stop you.....just ignore him and his wife as much as you can. I don’t see where engaging him in conversation will get you. I wouldn’t even give him a copy of the above just pretend he’s not there. You have tried to be reasonable and I don’t think further discussion will get you anywhere. Incidentally where does the road end up ?

 

[SMF1]

You have every right to ride there and he has no right to try and stop you.....just ignore him and his wife as much as you can. I don’t see where engaging him in conversation will get you. I wouldn’t even give him a copy of the above just pretend he’s not there. You have tried to be reasonable and I don’t think further discussion will get you anywhere. Incidentally where does the road end up ?

So further along that road there is a path which leads up to a trail that we ride along. We have to pass through a gate which we always close behind us. We have seen dog walkers go up and down it previously which led us to actually explore where it takes you to, which brings us to where we are now. His wife confirmed the first time when we had an issue that they allow dog walkers to use it.

Point 1 on the photograph is where we came across the fella, and Point 2 is our point of exit back onto our usual hacking route. We have used the area in green for the past few years which only leads to one house and have never had any issues with the people who live at the end of the road.

 

[bonny]

He’s just trying to bully you, that’s the problem with the right of access in Scotland, don’t let him ! You have every right to go there, it’s not up to him or his wife where you go......

 

[Lintel]

You say don't/BHS believe it to be a private road, but clearly this man thinks it is? Can you ask him for proof of ownership of the road?
Or post him through proof that it is not?

I wouldn't be hacking down it if it was me... I want a peaceful hack that would put me right off! But I'm an absolute wimp! You are free to walk anywhere in Scotland.. It is a free country after all, but that being said if random folks started walking up my driveway, horses or no horses, I would be disgruntled.

Don't rise to his bait, be civil or ignore him and get definitive proof either way ?

 

[bonny]

You say don't/BHS believe it to be a private road, but clearly this man thinks it is? Can you ask him for proof of ownership of the road?
Or post him through proof that it is not?

I wouldn't be hacking down it if it was me... I want a peaceful hack that would put me right off! But I'm an absolute wimp! You are free to walk anywhere in Scotland.. It is a free country after all, but that being said if random folks started walking up my driveway, horses or no horses, I would be disgruntled.

Don't rise to his bait, be civil or ignore him and get definitive proof either way ?

It’s not a driveway, it’s a road, just carry on riding on it and ignore him the best you can, just because someone shouts doesn’t mean you have to listen !

 

[dogatemysalad]

Unless the residents tarmac and maintain the road, it is certainly a public road.

 

[bonny]

Unless the residents tarmac and maintain the road, it is certainly a public road.

Even if they do, you can still ride on it eg a farm road, a public road just means that the council maintain it.

 

[Teajack]

Unless the residents tarmac and maintain the road, it is certainly a public road.

This exactly. l'd be sure the council foot the bill and personally l'd be finding that out so lt could be mentioned.

 

[HeyMich]

It doesn't matter a jot if it's a public road or not. It is a Core Path, and in Scotland, you are allowed to ride horses on a Core Path.

I would let him see a copy of the letter you posted above regarding the CP designation.

Good luck. He sounds like a total tool!
.

 

[holeymoley]

What a clown. No reason why you can’t ride through. Bit strange though why he’s so adverse to it. Surely cars and others travel down it too!

 

[PurBee]

Unless the residents tarmac and maintain the road, it is certainly a public road.

The country road im on the council confirmed in writing before purchase of property, they own it yet yrs later in writing offered a ‘community scheme’ expecting me to pay for maintenance, drainage and re-surfacing...its 1km long, enough work just to keep the side growth trimmed back every year! After 25yrs theyve finally buckled and done some work so vehicles can now drive up it without piercing the sump, careering off into the ditch, or puncturing a tyre. The postman can even finally deliver mail!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would take a copy of the emails you have posted here, in a sealed envelope, addressed to The Occupier x house, y road, ride along the road and as soon as he comes out of his house call out 'I'm glad I've seen you' (puts him on the back foot) 'I've got this for you'. By the time he's opened the envelope and read the letter you will be past and on your way, no need to hang about and discuss it with him.

If you have any further trouble, especially physical contact, involve the police.

 

[Red-1]

The man asks you to put proof through his letterbox, I would do just that.

 

[PurBee]

Its amazing people can be so uptight to be honest. Youre riding by his house and property, not through it!
‘Country folk’ used to be relaxed about that years ago anyway as they had an appreciation of oneanother and their ‘country pursuits.’ There was a reciprocal respect and welcoming attitude.
Then the shift of modern house market prices forced country lifestyle lovers out to cheap suburban housing, while city folk with huge salaries became the ones who could afford the old stone farm houses. So we have now city attitudes in the countryside.

I once rented a place where there was a ‘public footpath’ shown on old ordanance survey maps, which went down my drive, across my back garden and onto the fields behind.
No-one used it but if there were ramblers in the area who generally use OS maps, they had every right to stomp through my personal area. Id stop them for a friendly natter, not an argument, like in the vid!

Land registry maps aren’t worth going by for boundary line of property confirmation, as they say on the website that boundary lines are not accurate and the deeds to the property show the correct boundary line.
The 3 farms near me, on land registry map website, all show boundary lines going beyond the road, indicating the road to be owned by the property. This is all inaccurate as i said in my previous post, the council confirmed ownership. The deeds show the boundary line correctly.

Maybe the guy in the vid has been onto land registry site and seen the boundary line to his property covering that road. Instead he should be looking at his deeds.

The deeds to some old places will show road ownership, because they were drawn up before full accurate surveying of properties was enacted. I can imagine this to still be the case in Scotland, like it is here in rural ireland.

Youve done the right thing by contacting the authorities to get their confirmation. Thats all that can be done in cases where the maps are all inaccurate due to not being re-surveyed and updated.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I would take a copy of the emails you have posted here, in a sealed envelope, addressed to The Occupier x house, y road, ride along the road and as soon as he comes out of his house call out 'I'm glad I've seen you' (puts him on the back foot) 'I've got this for you'. By the time he's opened the envelope and read the letter you will be past and on your way, no need to hang about and discuss it with him.

If you have any further trouble, especially physical contact, involve the police.

^^This.

After giving him the envelope, I'd leave eight days for the news to sink in or for him to contact the council to confirm riders' right of way, then make a point of riding past in each direction every day that it's possible to do so.

I didn't hear any swearing in the video.

I heard him call OP a muppet, but I think that I heard OP refer to the man's wide as "a lippy cow".

 

[HashRouge]

I would take a copy of the emails you have posted here, in a sealed envelope, addressed to The Occupier x house, y road, ride along the road and as soon as he comes out of his house call out 'I'm glad I've seen you' (puts him on the back foot) 'I've got this for you'. By the time he's opened the envelope and read the letter you will be past and on your way, no need to hang about and discuss it with him.

If you have any further trouble, especially physical contact, involve the police.

This. And then I'd trot past every time I rode along there so that there was less chance of him engaging me in conversation. But then I am a wimp!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

This. And then I'd trot past every time I rode along there so that there was less chance of him engaging me in conversation. But then I am a wimp!

Trotting past would also send the message that you do not intend to engage with him.

 

[sarahann1]

We have a grumpy sod of a similar nature round our way. In the end the local police community officer went and had a word with him. Definitely worth contacting yours if you have one.

 

[JFTDWS]

Trotting past would also send the message that you do not intend to engage with him.

But equally will not be intimidated out of using a right of way just because of his megalomania to annex the road under his own personal control.

Having provided him with proof, do not engage. If he touches your horse again, or impedes your progress, call the police.