Author Topic: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?  (Read 3621 times)

karl h

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Ive recently read a few reports of this happening  (and from Richards reports on his local walks ) and then on my route up to the moors i came across this












The story has made the local paper
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/18393084.enforcement-action-threat-public-pathway-darwen-deliberately-blocked/

Ironically I use this path because ( the shorter ) alternative passed through a farmyard and I didn't want to antagonise the farmer anymore than I needed to.


ninthace

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #1 on: 21:05:21, 24/04/20 »
If so, in this case his timing is off - paths near built up areas are probably busier than they have ever been.
Solvitur Ambulando

BuzyG

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #2 on: 21:08:10, 24/04/20 »
I think more people than normal are walking the local RoW, due to C19. Which is likely to get obstructions like this reported.  O0


Ninthace you beat me to it.  ;)

pleb

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #3 on: 21:46:29, 24/04/20 »
Yes. My cousin is a PROW officer, he says farmers are trying to stop folks walking through their yards.
His boss has told him to put enforcement action, and site visits, on hold.
My cousin isnt happy!
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

GnP

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #4 on: 22:12:22, 24/04/20 »
I have come across a couple so far that looked as if attempts had been made to hide either the stiles or the sign posts.

One was a stile that was hidden from the lane by a jcb digger bucket, strategically placed. I had my gps with the route, but I am always a tad hesitant before making sure I am not walking up someones private path or drive. By chance a runner came flying by, sprinted up the driveway and leapt over the stile which was hidden from view. Then further on the plastic arrow signs at the next field had been sprayed over with green paint.

Another example was a kissing gate, which I already knew the position of, had been semi blocked by a builders skip.
At the moment though I try  to avoid (if I can) any farmyards or paths that go very close to peoples doors, so as not to antagonise anyone. ???
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Oldtramp

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #5 on: 22:42:01, 24/04/20 »
Two lots of signs a fortnight ago asking me not to go thru' farmyards of Tas Valley Walk in Norfolk, which I respected, given how spooked some folks are (my personal views are fatalistic).  A few other scattered notices across Norfolk, saying essentially 'You should be at home,' which I just ignore, as do lots of other folk who are out and about on the paths.  No problem today on the Wherryman's Way between Loddon and Norwich.  Very nice walk: 17 miles, 3 deer, Gt Crested Grebes and a Grey Lag Goose that hissed when I tried to photograph its gosling. 


Lot more traffic in Norwich.  One way and another folks are just quietly starting up again.

fernman

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #6 on: 23:08:16, 24/04/20 »
Lot more traffic in Norwich.  One way and another folks are just quietly starting up again.

Most definitely. Lots more traffic here too, mostly in the afternoon, but also people in my road are seen to be having visitors, or a woman who owns a currently empty flat has been coming in the evenings with cleaning materials. The reason is the police are not doing anything to deter people. Last Sunday a group of 6 eastern europeans plus kids made a right nuisance of themselves in a tiny garden with very loud music going on and off most of the day; the person living closest to them phoned 101 to complain that lockdown was being broken, details were taken but no action was taken because they were still at it some hours later.

Sorry, rant over, I had to get that off my chest.

geordie33

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #7 on: 08:47:30, 25/04/20 »
One of the problems in my area is the number of people who never walk have understandably started using paths (I have never seen them so busy).Some of them don't understand the rules and have exercised dogs on crops etc.Justifiably the local farmer is not happy about this.He also noted last Sunday that over 100 people went through his yard on the PROW although he has not tried to obstruct this.
This is the law of unintended consequences when asking people to walk from home rather than a 5 minute drive to a quieter area.

Perhaps a bit more traffic but I was in Durham yesterday on a lovely day and it was like a ghost town so compliance levels still very high.

fit old bird

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #8 on: 09:09:34, 25/04/20 »
Have not seen any blocked paths in my area, but I am choosing my routes carefully to avoid people. There is a lovely walk from my village to the next village, high up overlooking the river, with lovely views. I am not using it at the moment because I know there will be others rambling along. The path is narrow so meeting someone with no way to avoid passing them is a no no at the moment. I am walking on paths along field edges, away from any buildings.

ilona

Oldtramp

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #9 on: 10:29:29, 25/04/20 »
I try to give people whom I pass 6 feet clearance whilst out walking.   It's good manners in the the present 'emergency.'   


But the more I think about it, the dafter it is. 


Standing 6 feet away from someone, coughing, in the supermarket queue for 10 minutes is one thing.  Being briefly within 6 feet of someone whom you're passing, with a closing speed of 5 mph (i.e both moving at 2.5 mph)  is quite different.


The calculation is 5 mph closing speed =  26000 feet/h = 7 ft/sec and a total distance of 12 ft when you're 'within range', meaning under 2 seconds.  On average you inhale only once every 3-4 seconds.   Easy enough just not to inhale in the moments you're actually within 6 feet.


Unless you stop for a cuddle (or to disengage fighting dogs) the risk is tiny.   

ninthace

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #10 on: 10:50:28, 25/04/20 »
What if you are following them to overtake?  ;)


Of course. if a person is exercising then they should be breathing heavily so the number of virons per exhalation should be quite low as the lungs are being flushed each time and will have been since the exercise started.
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Jac

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #11 on: 11:10:20, 25/04/20 »
Two farms near here, both of which happen to be organic, one veg one meat, have put signs on gates on paths which are not even PRoWS but simply farm tracks or their own 'round farm' walks.
The big difference is that these signs simply ask people to take care not to touch stiles and gates and in one case - the veggie farm so they have no stock in the fields - an instruction to leave the pedestrian gate tied open so no need to touch even the latch.

Thank you to them - life feels so much better than when walking past the permanent signs (private road, no public right of way, no access, keep out etc) displayed, often several at a time on every gate of the Perridge estate which has not one PRoW in all it's 400 hectares.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

Oldtramp

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #12 on: 11:15:12, 25/04/20 »

@ninthace

If you're overtaking you can choose where to do so, staying 6 feet apart.   It's harder to choose time and place if you're coming in opposite directions.


And, yes, depth of breathing, increased respiration rate going uphill, up-wind/down-wind effects will all be factors.  My calculation is simplistic for not taking these into account.  Nonetheless  the main point stands, that proximity is very brief and that odds of transmission consequently must be very small.

pleb

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #13 on: 12:10:08, 25/04/20 »
Ban joggers! I dont trust em anyway, they should be walking.
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

ninthace

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Re: Are landowners taking advantage of CV to block paths ?
« Reply #14 on: 12:27:36, 25/04/20 »
Ban joggers! I dont trust em anyway, they should be walking.
Too right!  If they had got up on time they would not have to run to get where they are going!
Solvitur Ambulando

 

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