________________________________ From: Steve Dobson <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sat, 20 August, 2011 16:44:45 Subject: Re: [Talk-GB] To delete or not to delete, that is the question... 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? Yes, I did it via an OS map (see other messages in the thread) precisely because I'm not inclined to take what landowners say at face value when the evidence suggests otherwise and because some of them do have an "attitude", as you describe (in the last week I have had to wade through crops and crawl under barbed wire and electric fences but anyway...) Someone suggested the definitive map, maybe I'll see if the relevant council (it's not my local one) has an online map and verify it with that. Nick 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
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