Yesterday we had a brilliant walk in a favourite area, south Cheshire, just over the county border from Shropshire. An area that can create multiple routes of varying lengths of verdant undulating farmland, bisected by meandering canal townpath, quiet lanes and dotted with meres and mosses. There were a wide range of people out yesterday from cyclists, walkers and runners, really highlighting the need for connectivity with nature as a release from social distancing and the closure of many social venues that occupy peoples leisure outlets.
I had an interesting dialogue with a Farmer, we met at a field gate that coincided with the Right of Way, he being driven around the field by daughter inspecting the livestock, we got into conversation with a query about the breed types of his sheep, interesting in itself but our parting words were relevant to the question in the topic title.
He pointed out the line we should follow across the field, undulating ground made it difficult to see the exit point, having walked there before I knew the direction but the ground had changed and the path in the field beyond disappeared in a mass of Soft rush and tussocky sedge.The side of the field away from the right of way was high ground and the farmer suggested that we head for that side, his explanation was the ditch had long needed cleaning and that was a job for the hall. This information tells me he was not the landowner. It is clear that the land maintenance has been in neglect for several years. We stopped for a coffee break on a nice dry bit of raised ground in full view of the whole 1/5 of a mile of this sodden footpath. An elderly couple of ladies struggle through it, not noticing my waves to come across to the dry side of the field. As the eventually got to the style, from which we had come we saw a family group about to start this watery assault course and they responded to my waves.
When they caught up with us as we dawdled around the Marbury Mere, I told the dad, the reason for my waves, his sons only had light trainers on there feet and his wife was not shod much better. They seemed in good order, the elderly couple I had noticed earlier in the day were better kitted out though the looked rather frail.
It is quite likely that someone may lodge a complaint, my previous complaints to the Cheshire authorities have had little effect, but the likelihood would be the great expense of duck boards across a developing wetland, because a badly maintained ditch will result in the field drainage system breaking down and a well used path to an important beauty spot in a popular walking area will cost public money due to lazy land management.
Yet there are plenty of signs and locked gates that tell a story of property protection, that stands in the way of more people sharing the full glory of that area.
As the only real complaint I have would be against the landowner for his bad land management, is it a waste of time complaining to the Rights of Way officers? Until public opinion can pinpoint poor land management and separate it from agricultural responsibility, there seems little point in piling up the in trays of local government with complaints that will divert public money into covering up the dilatory actions of an irresponsible minority.