If these examples of idiocy and stubborness don’t get you ringing your right of way officer we don’t know what will…..

F&M only travels North/South, not East West shocker!

The bridleway and footpath running north/south, across the Hobson Golf Course, near Burnhopfield, Tyne & Wear, are closed, while the 9th 10th 11th and 12th holes (running east/west), are open, despite crossing the rights of way several times.

Is this an indication of some sort of magnetic alignment in the virus, or just an indication that the richer you are, the less likely you are to spread disease?

Dave

We’ve not had foot in mouth in yellowbelly lincolnshire, but the
bridleways and other routes are still marked off limits.
But strangely, the horses aren’t being exercised on the roads anymore.
So where are they going?

Cheesed

Here in Bath, it seems that BANES council has lost its marbles (if indeed it ever had any!!)

They have reopened footpaths that cross straight through grazed land in one place, complete with official re-opened signs, but everyone’s favourite downhill run, about a mile away, which runs down from the (open) golf course, through the woods, past a few peoples back gardens, and out onto an A road, without going near any farm land whatsoever, keeps it’s closed notice.

However, the closed notices at the top have disappeared, only one on the exit to the road remains… most people are just assuming it has been reopened and the lone sign is not meant to remain! Other paths through woodland in the area have been reopened too!

Dave Ebling

Here in Bucks, we have the dubious accolade of the 3rd worst offender in terms of re-opening access. Down the bottom of my road, there is a footpath and a bridleway. The footpath does go through some farmland and it’s closed. The bridleway is a tarmaced road that ends up in a little village. It’s also closed. On average 20 cars a day go up and down that road as do the horses to the local farms down there. There is no straw matting or any other measures in place. This bridleway runs almost parallel to the closed footpath.

Not one case of F&M here and 4% of the footpaths open. I keep faxing letters to the chief exec of the CC, so far all they have done is tell everyone how well they have managed the crisis. I’m really looking forward to one turning up on the door asking for my vote in the June elections…
Al

I took my road bike for a spin around the Peak District this weekend as all of the interesting places to ride are well and truly shut. While riding along a lane I got stuck behind a farmer on a quad bike herding a flock of sheep along the lane!

So I can’t walk or ride through fields with sheep in them but they apparently can use the public roads.

Make of that what you will.

Liam Corner

Mickleham, Surrey: A path (mostly tarmac and leading past several houses)
through The Priory farm that avoids the A24 dual carriageway was allegedly
closed yesterday (although the sign at the south end was unclear)
(http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=516500&Y=154500&A=Y&Z=3).

Oddly, Bocketts Farm Tea-shop/petting barn/townie money-removing operation 1km
away was open as usual. “Wash your hands after touching the animals,” it said.

Musht be shome mishtake.

Good job we were on road bikes, then.

John Snuggs, London Phoenix CC member

Leith hill is open – very little in the way of livestock. Ranmore also open, plenty of cloven hoofed thingies (no, not politicians) around there too. Box Hill – open. Norbury Park – open. Polesden Lacey – still partially closed by the National Trust, although completely patchy. Some bridleways and footpaths close to the posh housing development / golfcourse on the old Beaverbrook estate – closed with slightly unofficial looking signs. Golfers very much in evidence, but obviously the bridleway / footpath past Givons Grove (houses at 500k+ not open. Hmm.

Ben

How touchingly naive. You seem to be labouring under the missaprehension that there is logic in any of this!

I work for the environment Agency and during the early days of the crisis I was on the phone to Maff asking them to confirm or deny an outbreak rumour. Bear in mind we are another Govt Agency closely involved. The jerk at the other end told me that it was true but it was absolutely classified and I must not repeat it. He then asked me how I knew. I told him the truth, My missus had heard it on local radio and called me to see if I knew anything.

Logic, sense and Common Dog F have nothing to do with it. Everyone came under pressure from the DETR to open paths during the bank holiday to give an impression of normality. The moment its over BANG they closed em all again.

I live in Dorset No outbreaks at all but has more restrictions than Dartmoor which has ha something like 160 cases work that one out!

PS I can provide a handy sachet of disinfectant if you want!

The authorities in Surrey seem to have got it right, the only restrictions are right next to farms. The trails on the North Downs have mostly been open for 7 weeks+ now. Some stayed shut until a bit more recently but I have only seen 2 warning signs in the last month, out of 100s of trails.

Down the road in Sussex it’s a completely different matter, every single trail was shut though apparently the south downs way was now open (so I heard anyway).

The difference of policy for two completely uninfected areas demonstrates the short sighted stupidity and lack of leadership the government has shown throughout the ‘crisis’. How can an immunisable non-lethal disease of cattle etc be termed a crisis anyway? Oh well I know who I’ll not be voting for in June…

Jon

Talking to a couple of PROW officers in and around Lancashire last week, and also checking out the Institute of Public Rights Of Way we site, it’s obvious that individual “locals” are getting “their” fps/bws opened for local use ie short cuts to schools. There does not appear to be the slighest intention of planning a wholesale re-opening of the network – each path has to be individually risk-assessed. In my area (West Lancs), the PROW office have made a definite decision NOT to open Ashhurst Beacon but Beacon Country Park is open. So what you may ask….both are on opposite sides of the same road! Ashurst Beacon is entirely fenced in, whereas Beacon Country Park
isn’t…

Guess where the golf club is…?

Also, I was road biking in York Dales/Cumbria last week and stopped for a pint in Dent. Chatting to the barmaid about the lack of trade (only one of the two pubs was open), she remarked that the local Parisioners had voted not to open any rights of way this YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I doubt that they have the legal powers to prevent the opening, but it shows how entrenched the feelings the PROW office would have to overcome, and they have to do these risk assessments in conjunction with the landowner). Not good.

Mark