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but in the UK we have public footpaths on which public have a lawful right of way.

*cough* not Scotland

edit to add, for example

Does Scotland have rights of way?​


Access law in Scotland is far more progressive than in England and Wales. Walkers enjoy rights of access to most land and inland water, thanks to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

From The Ramblers Association https://www.ramblers.org.uk/
 
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@Floyd1 - those rambling clubs sound wonderful. As does living in a green, verdant landscape. I currently live in the desert, which is beautiful; but I do miss trees and grass.
I love the desert. The sheer heat and dryness is fantastic. And I've never seen so many stars as I have when in the Sinai.
How does someone find the local rambling club where you live?

Well in my case I see them meeting up in the carpark so I would just go and ask, but this is a small town so it's easy to do.
In larger towns there is probably a website or again just ask around and someone will point you to the right person.
 
How does someone find the local rambling club where you live?
The rights of way sections of county council websites invariably have a link to the local Ramblers' Association website or email address.

The Ramblers website has how to find your local group. Many Ramblers groups are active in maintaining local rights of way, especially when the local council isn't interested (when reporting rights-of-way problems, some councils will point you to the local Ramblers). Ordnance Survey maps have rights of way clearly marked, and I use these all the time to plan my back-of-beyond hikes. Sometimes the path only exists in the imagination of the mapmakers though, which can result in creative navigation to get where you are going. I've come across problems ranging from completely overgrown with scrub, overplanted with crops (beans are the worst), missing signs through labyrinthine industrial estates, collapsed footbridges, or footbridges that are lower than the current level of the waterflow, not to mention hostile farmers just barricading the right of way and then stringing barbed wire everywhere. Reporting to the local council produces widely varying results. Wiltshire don't care at all, while Kent are excellent, for example... or at least they were before pandemic and cashflow disasters.
 
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The rights of way sections of county council websites invariably have a link to the local Ramblers' Association website or email address.

The Ramblers website has how to find your local group. Many Ramblers groups are active in maintaining local rights of way, especially when the local council isn't interested (when reporting rights-of-way problems, some councils will point you to the local Ramblers). Ordnance Survey maps have rights of way clearly marked, and I use these all the time to plan my back of beyond hikes. Sometimes the path only exists in the imagination of the mapmakers though, which can result in creative navigation to get where you are going. I've come across peoblems ranging from completely overgrown with scrub, overplanted with crops (beans are the worst), missing signs through labyrinthine industrial estates, collapsed footbridges, or footbridges that are lower than the current level of the waterflow, not to mention hostile farmers just barricading the right of way and then stringing barbed wire everywhere. Reporting to the local council produces widely varying results. Wiltshire don't care at all, while Kent are excellent, for example... or at least they wete before pandemic and cashflow disasters.
Thank you, SB. This thread diversion about UK rambling rights over private property in order to just take a walk has been an education for me. In the US, we don't have much of this. The easement "right of way" usually is for specific purposes, like utility access, but generally not for public access -although @ChasFink made me aware of some exceptions.

The hiking clubs in the US generally are not local, so one must drive to the rallying point; or are local but in nearby public parks.

The UK countryside, from what I could tell from internet photos, is breathtakingly beautiful and lush. If I lived there, I'd be rambling around.
 
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Thank you, SB. This thread diversion about UK rambling rights over private property in order to just take a walk has been an education for me. In the US, we don't have much of this. The easement "right of way" usually is for specific purposes, like utility access, but generally not for public access -although @ChasFink made me aware of some exceptions.

The hiking clubs in the US generally are not local, so one must drive to the rallying point; or are local but in nearby public parks.

The UK countryside, from what I could tell from internet photos, is breathtakingly beautiful and lush. If I lived there, I'd be rambling around.
Just thought of something that may really blow your mind; we (not sure if it's the same in Scotland/Wales and Ireland) have lots of places where you can even walk right through a farm- past the stables and barns and even the farmer's living room window in some cases. If it's a busy farm with people zipping about on tractors etc it must be a pain to have to also watch out for walkers while doing your job.
farm.png
I suspect that if anything were to happen that the farmer would be liable too.

Here is one I walk through on occasion, although in this case it is a small quiet farm;
 
Yes we’ve walked through many a farm before.

When my husband used to be a gardener one of his customers had a beautiful house in a quaint little village in Derbyshire, however his garden had a right of way footpath right through the middle of it!
 
Yes we’ve walked through many a farm before.

When my husband used to be a gardener one of his customers had a beautiful house in a quaint little village in Derbyshire, however his garden had a right of way footpath right through the middle of it!
Watched an old episode of 'Ever Decreasing Circles' a few weeks ago and much to his chagrin, Martin found out that there was a right of way through his garden but it wasn't signposted.
Being Martin, even though he didn't want anyone walking through, he actually made a footpath sign- this being the law and all......
 
Watched an old episode of 'Ever Decreasing Circles' a few weeks ago and much to his chagrin, Martin found out that there was a right of way through his garden but it wasn't signposted.
Being Martin, even though he didn't want anyone walking through, he actually made a footpath sign- this being the law and all......
I’ve never seen it but I’m guessing that was the character played by Richard Briers :)

I don’t think I’d be able to relax in my garden if I thought anybody could just come strolling through at any time. It’d certainly put me off buying a house.
 
One of the houses I looked at in Hythe before I purchased this one had a right of way across the garden. It was a terraced house and the garden wasn't very big anyway.

And yes, it did put me off even though nobody had used the right of way in years (or so I was told).
 
Just thought of something that may really blow your mind; we (not sure if it's the same in Scotland/Wales and Ireland) have lots of places where you can even walk right through a farm- past the stables and barns and even the farmer's living room window in some cases. If it's a busy farm with people zipping about on tractors etc it must be a pain to have to also watch out for walkers while doing your job.
View attachment 61822 I suspect that if anything were to happen that the farmer would be liable too.

Here is one I walk through on occasion, although in this case it is a small quiet farm;
That is just incredible! I believe you, but that is just so...weird. It is going to take a little time for me to wrap my head around this one.

How are these walking rights balanced against the property owner's right to privacy, or to do what he wants with his property? What if he is a nudist?

By sheer coincidence, this week I read a Dick Francis novel, "Come to Grief," in which some ramblers are walking across a horse pasture and find a mutilated horse. They go to the horse owner's house at 5 am to complain that their rights have been violated. etc.
 
Watched an old episode of 'Ever Decreasing Circles' a few weeks ago and much to his chagrin, Martin found out that there was a right of way through his garden but it wasn't signposted.
Being Martin, even though he didn't want anyone walking through, he actually made a footpath sign- this being the law and all......
That's one of my all time favourite sitcoms. I can still feel his frustration just thinking about that show and let's not forget, that 'Mr Perfect' smug twat actually did make a move on his wife in the end proving that Martin wasn't imagining everything and being unreasonable at all. I haven't ever felt that sorry for a fictional character in a comedy other than Gaylord Focker in 'Meet the Fockers'. 'Ever Decreasing Circles' was a work of art.

Anyway, sorry, we're talking about cows ..
 
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THis looks pleasantly idiotic :)
View attachment 62414
Believing that zebras' stripes function to deter insects, a team of researchers painted black and white stripes on cows. They found that it reduced the number of biting flies landing on the cows by more than 50%. Read more: https://bit.ly/3zxFfBJ
By 50%? Maybe they prefer to land on the black bits, and not on the white bits then - cos that's equal to 50% of the Cows body!
 
By 50%? Maybe they prefer to land on the black bits, and not on the white bits then - cos that's equal to 50% of the Cows body!
Did you read the linked article? Or the previous research on zebras and their stripes? The insect reduction is real.

I'm going out to buy spray stripe for myself, as the flies here in Arizona can get really bad out in the countryside.
Will keep everyone posted :)
 
Did you read the linked article? Or the previous research on zebras and their stripes? The insect reduction is real.

I'm going out to buy spray stripe for myself, as the flies here in Arizona can get really bad out in the countryside.
Will keep everyone posted :)
(Ah, I missed seeing/reading that!) Wonder if it would work on midges in the wilder parts of Scotland ~ alas, no Zebras up there?
Maybe it could be down to flies being far more visible against a white background (thereby more vulnerable to being attacked) and less so on a black background?
Or, maybe it could be related to a heat, or light thing with either of the two stripes.
 
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I think that's a really good point to make 'brownmane;' Maybe flies actually know what a Zebra looks like even though their tiny in comparison! No chance of that in the UK though - unless there's any wild Zebras out there in our countryside?
So, the secret of what deflects the flies must be to do with the actual stripy pattern itself, I presume.
 
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What about this? The article says that zebra striping, not just black stripes decreased the fly biting. Wonder what is the difference?
View attachment 62422:)
Yeah - why doesn't this pattern work?

The original study on zebras indicated that it was the pattern of stripes that was important. I hope this odd research continues because I could envision so many applications: insects, heat, etc.

@Sid: being invisible has been a lifelong goal. Maybe now I can reach it!
 
A lot of them are not much use; maybe they only cut the corner through a field for a short distance and then you're back to a main road for a while before another path goes off again, others go on for miles and you can do a good circuit if you wish, often incorporating canal-side paths and disused railway lines as well (most are overgrown here or have been converted back to fields, but where I grew up they have been turned into places for walkers and cyclists).
I'm in America—this sounds like heaven to me! Just walking, it feels so good! Hard to do here.

I'm going out to buy spray stripe for myself, as the flies here in Arizona can get really bad out in the countryside.
Will keep everyone posted
Dress like a mime?
 
Playing In The Mood no doubt. How many park visitors will be killed and eaten by these savage cattle before sense is seen? Last time the Scots came to Derby they were sent homeward to think again!

More Highland cattle are to be released into a city's parkland and fitted with sound-emitting collars to restrict their roaming.

Derby City Council wants to put more cows into Allestree Park as part of what it says will be the UK's largest rewilding scheme. It aims to used new technology to keep them penned into areas with "virtual fences" triggering the collars. It said the move would improve biodiversity.

The council said the system, called NoFence, will play a melody as the cows approach the edge of the boundary which is set using GPS. It said the beast would learn to turn back when the melody plays and if they attempted to cross the boundary, a small pulse would be emitted - similar to a conventional agricultural electric fence.

The council said The National Trust has already used the system effectively at Studland Bay in Dorset but said a physical fence would also be erected as a back up.

Jerry Pearce, Derby City Council's cabinet member for streetpride, leisure and public spaces, added: "This is an excellent initiative which uses new technology to ensure we're looking after nature in the park in the best way we can, while keeping it an attractive and welcoming place for residents and visitors to enjoy. Allestree Park is a huge park, the biggest public green space we have in Derby, so there's enough room for everyone, including more cattle." ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-64678802
 
Playing In The Mood no doubt. How many park visitors will be killed and eaten by these savage cattle before sense is seen? Last time the Scots came to Derby they were sent homeward to think again!

More Highland cattle are to be released into a city's parkland and fitted with sound-emitting collars to restrict their roaming.

Derby City Council wants to put more cows into Allestree Park as part of what it says will be the UK's largest rewilding scheme. It aims to used new technology to keep them penned into areas with "virtual fences" triggering the collars. It said the move would improve biodiversity.

The council said the system, called NoFence, will play a melody as the cows approach the edge of the boundary which is set using GPS. It said the beast would learn to turn back when the melody plays and if they attempted to cross the boundary, a small pulse would be emitted - similar to a conventional agricultural electric fence.

The council said The National Trust has already used the system effectively at Studland Bay in Dorset but said a physical fence would also be erected as a back up.

Jerry Pearce, Derby City Council's cabinet member for streetpride, leisure and public spaces, added: "This is an excellent initiative which uses new technology to ensure we're looking after nature in the park in the best way we can, while keeping it an attractive and welcoming place for residents and visitors to enjoy. Allestree Park is a huge park, the biggest public green space we have in Derby, so there's enough room for everyone, including more cattle." ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-64678802
So, no more dog walking? :)
 
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