Nick On 20/08/11 14:52, Phil Endecott wrote: > Nick Whitelegg wrote: >> Around Easter 2010, IIRC, I surveyed what appeared to be a footpath in >> good faith: >> >> I was then given a hard time by the landowner about trespassing etc. > > The landowner has told you that it is not a footpath. Please delete > it. (Or re-tag as private.)
Has it been checked that it isn't a public footpath? Some years ago, before hand held GPS devices were common, I was out on a country hike with some friends. We were walk across on a field on what was clearly a footpath, although there was no sign by the road and no attempt had been made by the farmer to make a reasonably passable crossing in the hedge. While we were on the path were were approached (but not closely) by the farmer. He was carrying a shot gun, correctly, in the crock of his arm and with two hunting dogs in toe. He asked us, politely, to get off his land. I stated that I thought that it was a public footpath and held up the OS map that I had with me. The farmer denied that we were on a public footpath and repeated his request for us to get off his land, which we did. I learnt afterwards that this is a common ploy by some farmers (not all by any means). If a farmer can show that a public footpath is not in common use then they can request it's public status be revoked and, if successful, plough over the path. I would recommend that you contact your local Ramblers group. I understand (I have never been a Rambler) that they are keen to keep all our public footpaths in the public domain. I also understand that they make it a point to walk along any path regularly where the farmer was not meeting his legal obligations to keep such footpaths accessible to the public. Although I will admit that this happened over ten years ago and things may be different now. Steve -- Steve Dobson _______________________________________________ Talk-GB mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-gb
