I think the most frequent “unsatisfactory” interaction I have with farmers is poor signage, evidently deliberately damaged or removed.
In my experience..that (the deliberate removal of signs) really isn’t that unusual...especially when near farmhouse itself. Certainly a lot more common than face to face “spats”.
Link that to deliberately abused way marks, especially shot damaged and you will start to add up some of the of the indicators of access hostility. Where off road signage such as fingerposts are damaged by
hedge cutters there is a hint of collusion between contractors and landowners.
Councils are remiss if they do not claim back this damage because allows this type of attitude to embed in local attitude.
This may seem far fetched but it becomes more feasible, when you understand that the people concerned meet up at the same functions and hospitality events.
A classic examples is the Ceriog valley, where the McAlpine family established shooting interests several decades ago, the legacy is an embedded bad attitude that can be found in many forms, even one farmers wife posting on the No 10, website that it is unfair they cannot close a lengthy footpath because a short length has been eroded by the Ceriog river.
I got insight into this when I was initially approached by irate farmer, who we later found had a member of his family nursed by Mrs BWW.
Trouble is these sort of attitudes can remain in an area for decades even generations. The particular footpath could be a key in a X Wales route starting at Gobowen rail station.