Path impassable what do I do

"Gwyn" <g@> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a footpath near me in Withernsea which goes from the edge of
the golf course to Noth Carr Dales Road TA 339267 to TA 338260.
Now I tried to walk it last Sunday and it was like a jungle basically
the ... <snip>

If not one already,become a member of the Ramblers...

IIRC in that part of UK farmer may grow crops butmust clear path after a
bit...
see..

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/footpathlaw.html

in particular ...

(I quote from RA web site..)

"

20. What about crops growing on or over a path?
The landowner has a duty to prevent a crop (other than grass) from making
the path difficult to find or follow. The minimum widths given in Q18 apply
here also, but if the path is a field-edge path they are increased to 1.5m
for a footpath, 3m for a bridleway. You have every right to walk through
crops growing on or over a path, but stick as close as you can to its
correct line. Report the problem to the highway authority: it has power to
prosecute the landowner or cut the crop and send the owner the bill.

"
but, check it is right-of-way...
"
3. How do I know whether a path is a public right of way or not?
The safest evidence is the official 'definitive map' of public rights of
way. These maps are available for public inspection at the offices of local
highway authorities (see Q7). Some are also available in libraries and some
are sold by the councils concerned. In addition, public rights of way
information derived from them, as amended by subsequent orders (see Q24), is
shown by the Ordnance Survey on its Explorer,and Pathfinder maps (see Maps).

Some rights of way are not yet shown on definitive maps. These can quite
properly be used, and application may be made to highway authorities for
them to be added to the map. The inner London boroughs are not required to
produce definitive maps, though this does not mean there are no rights of
way in inner London.

"
Yours aye

Rab

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gwyn <g@> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

What about contacting the RA will they be able to do something.

Quoted message said:

Oh yes there is a disused railway line that parallels the path but its
private and I believe flooded at the moment due to the recent rains.

Quoted message said:

So what do I do please offer help.

The Ramblers may be able to help. So also might your local councillor if
the footpath man is not prepared to do anything. It is my understanding
that farmers are obliged to reinstate within a limited period paths they
they have ploughed up. It is also my understanding that the recording of
public footpaths on OS maps is frequently inaccurate so the path may not
go exactly where you think it should. Consult the Local Authority
Definitive Map.

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

Contact your local Council. It is the responsability of the Highways Agency
(a department of the council) to ensure
rights of way are kept clear by landowners (it is ultimately the landowners
responsability to keep them clear).

Parish councils often have a programme to assist in keeping paths clear,
often manned by volunteers, as landowners
can be a little lax in this area! May be worth contacting the Parish Council
first.

Good luck!

David Gibbins

"Gwyn" <g@> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a footpath near me in Withernsea which goes from the edge of
the golf course to Noth Carr Dales Road TA 339267 to TA 338260.
Now I tried to walk it last Sunday and it was like a jungle basically
the land owner has sown crops right across it. Now it is a really
convienient way for me to get to Hollym in Winter but Summer seems out
of bounds. Ive Emailed the footpath man at the council and he said he
will cut the part nearest the hedge (although he doesnt know when the
1 time this year cut will be)which goes about half way from NCDR not
as the OS map says all the way as I believe at one point the farmer
has removed a field boundary. The rest of the path goes right across
the field and the footpath man doesn't know his details so basically
I'm at a dead end unless someone can tell me how to find out who the
landowner is.
What about contacting the RA will they be able to do something.

Oh yes there is a disused railway line that parallels the path but its
private and I believe flooded at the moment due to the recent rains.

So what do I do please offer help.
--
Gwyn. [email hidden]
Remove rem if replying
note return address is your own computer;-)

P.S.

This may be of interest - page down to heading
'Protecting & maintaining rights of way'

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/public/index.htm

"pennineway" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Contact your local Council. It is the responsability of the Highways
Agency (a department of the council) to ensure
rights of way are kept clear by landowners (it is ultimately the
landowners responsability to keep them clear).

Parish councils often have a programme to assist in keeping paths clear,
often manned by volunteers, as landowners
can be a little lax in this area! May be worth contacting the Parish
Council first.

Good luck!

David Gibbins

"Gwyn" <g@> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a footpath near me in Withernsea which goes from the edge of
the golf course to Noth Carr Dales Road TA 339267 to TA 338260.
Now I tried to walk it last Sunday and it was like a jungle basically
the land owner has sown crops right across it. Now it is a really
convienient way for me to get to Hollym in Winter but Summer seems out
of bounds. Ive Emailed the footpath man at the council and he said he
will cut the part nearest the hedge (although he doesnt know when the
1 time this year cut will be)which goes about half way from NCDR not
as the OS map says all the way as I believe at one point the farmer
has removed a field boundary. The rest of the path goes right across
the field and the footpath man doesn't know his details so basically
I'm at a dead end unless someone can tell me how to find out who the
landowner is.
What about contacting the RA will they be able to do something.

Oh yes there is a disused railway line that parallels the path but its
private and I believe flooded at the moment due to the recent rains.

So what do I do please offer help.
--
Gwyn. [email hidden]
Remove rem if replying
note return address is your own computer;-)

pennineway said:

Contact your local Council. It is the responsability of the Highways Agency
(a department of the council) to ensure
rights of way are kept clear by landowners (it is ultimately the landowners
responsability to keep them clear).

My County Council just can't do the work. The rain has caused a lot of
paths to be overgrown (this would usually be a month earlier and 1 cut
would do it).
In addition, some paths are impassable due to rape falling over and the
council generally doesn't clear those. Means that we can't use a couple of
useful paths.
IIRC, if the path has an impassable crop, one is allowed to use any
reasonable route.

Quoted message said:

Parish councils often have a programme to assist in keeping paths clear,
often manned by volunteers, as landowners
can be a little lax in this area! May be worth contacting the Parish Council
first.

Trouble is, I'm the PPW here! I've been trying to get clearance done and a
couple have been.
The CC's RoW team often doesn't know who the landowners are; the Land
Registry searches have to be paid for and that's too beaurocratic for the
CC, so I'm trying to find out.

--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

The message <[email hidden]>
from PeterC <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

The CC's RoW team often doesn't know who the landowners are; the Land
Registry searches have to be paid for and that's too beaurocratic for the
CC, so I'm trying to find out.

£2 a throw on line but that probably won't help. Most farms have been in
the same family for generations and may not be registered. OTOH a
working farm building is easily identifiable on the ground and in any
situation if the farmer in the closest farm doesn't farm the field in
question he will almost certainly know who does so just ask.

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

Gwyn g@ said:

I have a footpath near me in Withernsea which goes from the edge of
the golf course to Noth Carr Dales Road TA 339267 to TA 338260.
Now I tried to walk it last Sunday and it was like a jungle basically
the land owner has sown crops right across it. Now it is a really
convienient way for me to get to Hollym in Winter but Summer seems out
of bounds. Ive Emailed the footpath man at the council and he said he
will cut the part nearest the hedge (although he doesnt know when the
1 time this year cut will be)which goes about half way from NCDR not
as the OS map says all the way as I believe at one point the farmer
has removed a field boundary. The rest of the path goes right across
the field and the footpath man doesn't know his details so basically
I'm at a dead end unless someone can tell me how to find out who the
landowner is.
What about contacting the RA will they be able to do something.

Oh yes there is a disused railway line that parallels the path but its
private and I believe flooded at the moment due to the recent rains.

So what do I do please offer help.

What is the crop?

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

If on the other hand it's head high maize something seriously needs to
be done.

The message <[email hidden]>
from Roger <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Most farms have been in
the same family for generations and may not be registered.

Probably tenant farmers, who don't go on the Land Register m'thinks? But
is it the land-owner or the occupier who is liable for RoWs? Probably
both!

Real problem is that there are not many votes in Rights of Way, nor,
sadly, even in Public Libraries, so the relevant departments get shaved
every time the Council sets its budget.

Richard

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (Tim Jones) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

Yes, if knee high barley, first check that the RoW really does go that
way, and then enlist a couple of mates to trample back and forward in
single file.

Quoted message said:

If on the other hand it's head high maize something seriously needs to
be done.

Yes, twist councillor or MP's arm, or, if (and only if) you are
seriously wealthy, instrct your solicitors to bring an action against
the highway authority (not the Highway Agency, a national quango) and/or
the land owner!

Richard

Roger said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from PeterC <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

The CC's RoW team often doesn't know who the landowners are; the Land
Registry searches have to be paid for and that's too beaurocratic for the
CC, so I'm trying to find out.

£2 a throw on line but that probably won't help. Most farms have been in
the same family for generations and may not be registered. OTOH a
working farm building is easily identifiable on the ground and in any
situation if the farmer in the closest farm doesn't farm the field in
question he will almost certainly know who does so just ask.

There are 2 complications:
farms are being taken over, often by farmers from some distance away
although a FP is in 'my' parish, the owner often isn't.

Fortunately, the former manager of the local farm still lives in the house,
so, now I've managed to contact him, I'll see who he knows.
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

Richard Spencer said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Roger <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Most farms have been in
the same family for generations and may not be registered.

Probably tenant farmers, who don't go on the Land Register m'thinks? But
is it the land-owner or the occupier who is liable for RoWs? Probably
both!

Logically the Land Registry would keep a record of both (oink-flap).

Quoted message said:

Real problem is that there are not many votes in Rights of Way, nor,
sadly, even in Public Libraries, so the relevant departments get shaved
every time the Council sets its budget.

Agreed - more chance of a RoW getting a road on it. The councils should be
informed of all of the owners as a matter of course. (fly Porciline).

--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

Richard Spencer said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (Tim Jones) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

Yes, if knee high barley, first check that the RoW really does go that
way, and then enlist a couple of mates to trample back and forward in
single file.

Why? Whats the point of putting yourself and your friends to any
inconvenience when the issue will quickly resolve itself if the path
is well used?

If the path isn't wellused it;s hard to see any problem in the first
place.

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (Tim Jones) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Why? Whats the point of putting yourself and your friends to any
inconvenience when the issue will quickly resolve itself if the path
is well used?

Quoted message said:

If the path isn't wellused it;s hard to see any problem in the first
place

Wading through wet vegetation is not a pleasant experience and not
having the line of the path marked is a disincentive to many walkers,
particularly where field boundaries have been grubbed out to make huge
prairies. For the timid among us growing crops and no path is all than
it takes to turn them back.

A section of the original line of the Essex Way was diverted onto other
footpaths and I am sure that part of the reason was that prior to the
introduction of the Essex Way it was hardly used. The reason why it was
not used was probably obstruction. Part of the diverted length was
through a caravan site and the actual line per the definitive map had
long since been blocked by permanently sited caravans and even a
permanent brick building and other measures had also been taken to
discourage use. The other part ran through arable fields and it was
usually impossible to find the line. Ironically (but possibly good PR)
the year before the path was diverted new plank bridges were put in over
the ditches and the line of the path spray cleared shortly after the
crops germinated.

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful
person Tim Jones <[email hidden]> said
<snip>

Quoted message said:

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

The law has a different view. And if the cereal crop is wet (even more
so if it is beans, or root crops) it is a real PITA to walk through.
Some of these ROWs are used by granny getting to the shops, not just
determined, fully kevlar equipped, ramblers.

Quoted message said:

If on the other hand it's head high maize something seriously needs to
be done.

Or oil seed rape, which matures like barbed wire entanglements.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
8,963 Km walked. 1,746Km PROWs surveyed. 31.7% complete.

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:43:56 GMT, [email hidden] (Tim

Jones) said:

What is the crop?

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

I agree. Some farmers don't, however, we once got an ear bashing
about destroying crops as we followed the RoW across a field of
barley.

S.

--
Stop ID cards and the Database State
http://www.no2id.net/

In message <[email hidden]>, Tim Jones
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

Like that bunch of wimps who whinged about a tiny little bit of bracken
on Bryn Arw last summer :-)

--
Martin Richardson
664/1554 Marilyns - aiming for 777 71/118 New Donalds - only 40% to go
88/211 Irish Hewitts - 123, it's easy 42/220 Corbetts - only 81% to go

Martin Richardson said:

Quoted message said:

The huge fuss that many ramblers can make about knee high barley is
pretty silly. Long grass and cereals are a fact of country life and
should be tolerated by those who choose to walk IMO.

Like that bunch of wimps who whinged about a tiny little bit of bracken
on Bryn Arw last summer :-)

I was just thinking about that. What we needed was more small
children. Perhaps we could have tied them together and got them to be
a bit more organised in their trampling.

J

The message <[email hidden]>
from Martin Richardson <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Like that bunch of wimps who whinged about a tiny little bit of bracken
on Bryn Arw last summer :-)

Well it was man eating bracken. :-)

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

In article <[email hidden]>, Roger
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Martin Richardson <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Like that bunch of wimps who whinged about a tiny little bit of bracken
on Bryn Arw last summer :-)

Well it was man eating bracken. :-)

Send a woman in to sort it out then :-)

--

Dominic Sexton