[Closed] Permissive bridleway closed

Just use it. The landowner will then introduce themselves and you can have a chat. Or not. Which works even better.

Local council rights of way officer I'd guess is your first contact

Dont bother, just use it.

Hmm seek forgiveness not permission in this case, I’d rather a chance encounter with an irate landowner than a distracted driver.

I'd take a walk down it (without toddler) and see if I can see any evidence of dangerous trees or trees that look like they have been dangerous but have since become less dangerous.

Other than that I'd try to find out who the landowner is and drop them a line. I'd start with the National Park authority rather than ROW officer just because it's a permissive path and maybe not in their scope.

I'd agree with that, the National Park are very likely to know who the landowner is, but after that I think it's up to you to discuss it directly. Chances are that it's been closed for liability reasons, so if you ask for permission to use it at your own risk the landowner might agree - unless they might be concerned that people may see you using it and think it's open.

I'd say it must be closed because of good reason, like 'dangerous trees' (like dangerous dogs only bigger) If the landowner just wanted to close it he'd do just that & maybe say 'bridleway closed forever' or something.

I’d say it must be closed because of good reason, like ‘dangerous trees’ (like dangerous dogs only bigger) If the landowner just wanted to close it he’d do just that & maybe say ‘bridleway closed forever’ or something.

There's a farm near me where every gate to every field/path has a 'Beware Bull' sign on it.
I'm pretty sure there's not a bull behind every sign, just as I'm sure that it's more likely to be the farmer trying to dissuade people from walking over his land.

There’s a farm near me where every gate to every field/path has a ‘Beware Bull’ sign on it.
I’m pretty sure there’s not a bull behind every sign, just as I’m sure that it’s more likely to be the farmer trying to dissuade people from walking over his land.

Isn't that also an offence, if the farmer is trying to discourage use of a public ROW?

"Beware" - so the farmer knows the bulls are dangerous but is allowing them on a public ROW anyway....

Isn’t that also an offence, if the farmer is trying to discourage use of a public ROW?

Probably. Better than the one who puts barbed wire across stiles though.

This is Devon. They all vote Tory. Non-landowners are scum. I've just learnt to get on with it!

Thank you all for contributing.

Just use it. The landowner will then introduce themselves and you can have a chat.

Well, I (just me) certainly would. I suspect the landowner would even permit me to, with liability accepted and because I’m local. Problem is it’s a big 5ft gate and it’s been padlocked. My pregnant partner can’t make it over that and throw the two year old over.

Local council rights of way officer I’d guess is your first contact

That was my first thought, but since it’s permissive it’s not actually a right of way.

This is Devon. They all vote Tory. Non-landowners are scum

This is true of rural West Sussex too.

I think Higgo and greybeard have it, first I need to figure out what’s actually going on via the landowner. I’ll ask locals. If there is a genuine issue with trees perhaps we can contribute to making it safe. If there’s an ulterior motive the South Downs park authority might be of help.

I only suspect ulterior motives because this path was rarely used previously, but suddenly popular in the first lockdown, the it suddenly was shut. There was a lot of parking in the rural lanes that the local farm owner tried to crack down on (perhaps understandably if not constructively) and if this is part of that farmers land it would fit a wider pattern.

Where is this bridleway?

just as I’m sure that it’s more likely to be the farmer trying to dissuade people from walking over his land.

Or the bull gets moved from one field to another and it's easier for the farmer to put a sign on every field it gets put into.
Better to have too much signature than too little.
But don't let common sense get in the way of your conspiracy theory.

Talk to county council rights of way officer to make sure it’s registered. If not you’ll lose the rights to use in the next year. Big project on to get all these registered at the minute.

UK is a free country and bulls also have right of way

Dairy bulls have Right of Whey

Talk to county council rights of way officer to make sure it’s registered. If not you’ll lose the rights to use in the next year. Big project on to get all these registered at the minute.

if it’s permissive, you don’t have any rights. That’s the point...

Dairy bulls have Right of Whey

Mate, that's not whey if it's a bull. Might still have some protein in it though.

Or the bull gets moved from one field to another and it’s easier for the farmer to put a sign on every field it gets put into.
Better to have too much signature than too little.
But don’t let common sense get in the way of your conspiracy theory.

You could say that, but I've been cycling/walking across that farm for 10 years now and never even seen a cow, let alone a bull!

Talk to county council rights of way officer to make sure it’s registered. If not you’ll lose the rights to use in the next year. Big project on to get all these registered at the minute.

I’m aware there’s a lot going on in this field (ha!) at the moment, but despite a fair bit of Googling I haven’t figured out how it might relate to this permissive bridle way - is there a 1 year target the landowners shooting for, or since it’s permissive they can just revoke it anyway.

if it’s permissive, you don’t have any rights. That’s the point…

Two things: if it’s permissive but not currently permitted, the local authorities should be made aware as it affects their evaluation of the current provision of public rights of way.
Second: farmer doesn’t want me on his land. But I want to get from here to there. Do, say, hundreds of other visitors want to do the same? Does our desire override the farmers opinion? That’s what the current debate about access is all about. It’s not simple, it needs... ooh I dunno, some kind of democratic process.

just because its not a public right of way but a permissive one doesn't mean (the under resourced) local authority ROW officer may not be able to input...I can recall one putting the actual landowners public amenities manager (Yorkshire water)in direct touch with me when some "no access" signs appeared courtesy of a local angling club that had a lease on the reservoir banks but part of the lease was to maintain the permitted access (both ROW and permissive paths)....

my understanding is that a permissive ROW forms part of the ROW network and LA's are usually involved in formalising and signposting so may have a record of landowner and there is a good possibility whoever manages the land has very different opinion on the nuisance of public access to the actual owner...

or to be kind it might just be that the assessment and work to deal with dangerous trees has no priority...pointing out the danger and lack of opportunity for kids to cycle safely may pull at someones heart strings and get the job prioritised....the only other tactic is to start to explore claiming as a right of way...some permissive paths are simply that because meant reduced demand to be legally claimed a better option for the landowner ...think you need to find people who have used the path for over 20years and willing to sign off...when people move around a lot not so easy especially for cycling / horseback rather than walking...which reminds me "The Ramblers" and some local horse riding groups are pretty active on these issues Good luck