Footpaths and rights of way

If I'm anywhere different I usually look up the nearest Woodland Trust wood on the internet and go there for a walk.

Sympathy Tanith
I nearly started a thread yesterday entitled 'Why I Hate the Countryside' - not areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, like Northumberland or the Lake District, which generally welcome walkers and visitors and provide helpful directions, but boring counties like Staffordshire which not only couldn't care less but actually seem to resent anyone with the temerity to venture over their borders.
I was staying with DD1 for a few days and as DGD was at nursery on Wednesday I decided a brisk walk would burn off a few calories.
Armed with the OS 1 inch map I set off and the first 3.5 miles along a disused railway between Stafford and Newport were uneventful.
The trouble started when I reached the end of a lane, expecting to find a footpath/right of way, as shown on the map. I struggled through thigh-high nettles and brambles before reaching the next bit of road.
The next stage was to go down said lane to a farm, before finding another path that would take me across the fields and back home to DD's house.
Leaving the lane by the footpath sign-post, I had to plodge through thick mud to get to the field, only then to find it fenced off with what looked suspiciously like an electric fence.
No choice but to retrace my steps through the mud and then walk about a mile and a half down the main road back to the village - the road verges uncut and completely unsuitable for pedestrians, I had to cross the road several times just to avoid overgrown shrubs and trees.
Apologies to any Staffordshire GNs

A lot to be said for nice urban parks

PS Your local library (if you have one) should carry a copy of the Definitive Map for your locality.

Yes indeed you did Yoga and I noted that and mentioned it myself earlier but no one seemed to be listening to us. As an ex-councillor this issue of blocking public rights of way was always coming up. Half the time the routes were not actually rights of way at all, but if they are then no one is allowed to block it, re-route it or simply ignore it.
Tanith did you get in touch with the County Council Public Rights of Way Officer today? They are usually very good at their job and quick to investigate any abuse by land owners.

Helpful to have a link, though!

That's what I said Aka !

Ordnance Survey maps should show it?

The Definitive Map

Oh I know its a right of way as there used to be signs pointing out where it ran across the course, these have now disappeared and people seem to of forgotten that the path needs to be walked to keep it open so have just been walking across the unused fairways instead but now the course is being brought back into commercial use the new owner obviously don't want people walking back and forth across the course and have let the signs disappear hoping people will forget about the pathway.

Only people that have lived here a long timeknow that the path still exists, newcomers don't realise they are perfectly entitled to walk across the course if they stick to the right of way which of course suits the new owners perfectly.

Tanith you can be sure that if there was no right of way the golf club would have put up a big sign saying so!

See these two links to people who have done the walk.

www.bertuchi.co.uk/dogroseramble.php

annierak.hoofbags.me.uk/dogroseramble.html

These support the contention that it is a recognised footpath.

Thanks I've filled in a form on the Ramblers Association site and left a message with the council office but I'll ring again next week.

That should be the Ramblers' Association

Contact your branch of the Rambers' Association and let them know. This is a significant part of their activities, and - unity is strength!

Yes, but it's the County Council not the District Council who have responsibility for footpaths.

You need to contact the Rights of Way Department at your local council. They should be able to help you but if you want to speed things up you could try a call to the Ramblers Association as well, they get very irate about rights of way being blocked and can influence the "Powers that Be ".

You'll probably have to look up the Definitive Map which should be available as an interactive map through the council website, to find the footpath number (each footpath, bridleway or other rights of way has its own individual number) and a map reference will be useful as well to give the exact location.

Good luck - these things often require a lot of persistence

Thanks everyone I'll give them a ring tomorrow... its definitely a footpath and has been for many years, its part of the Dog Rose Ramble footpath and the map shows it passing right through the golf course, the path became overgrown a bit while the course has been out of use but now its completely blocked. thanks for your advice.

tanith we have a footpath in front of our house and we can have it moved a few hundred yards for a huge amount, its doesn't bother us as we are walkers, I think it was the council we had to contact and they have a department who deals with National footpaths.

We have had people walk over our land to check that the footpath was still available to everyone, but the farmer next door had put barbed wire up over a section and he was given time scale to move it, so they are vigilant
in keeping these footpaths open.

I would phone your council and they will advice you who to contact.

Nobody can block a designated footpath. Ring your County Counil and see if it's listed on the 'definitive map'.
Even if it is not a designated footpath, the fact that you have had unimpeded access for 8 years may mean it can be instated.

I would ring the council, tanith. There should be a designated map showing footpaths.

Also try your nearest Green Party. They might be happy to help.