We are unbelievably lucky in the UK to have a network of footpaths that give us all free access to the open countryside. Sometimes when travelling abroad it is very frustrating that open fields and attractive places are firmly marked ‘private’ and are off limits. Even before the arrival of Rendle the Lurcher (Pictured right with husband Nick) and his need for daily exercise, Nick and I used to regularly get lost with our Ordnance Survey Maps in the corner of some foreign field not more than 5 miles from a pub car park in and around Suffolk. Rendle’s arrival has spurred us on to take an even keener interest in the footpath network, which is a national treasure that should be cherished.
All too often in the past the paths were ill signed and badly maintained. In some places in the UK I understand that serious access problems continue. I had lunch with an old friend yesterday who lives close to the South Downs. She told me that she has in the past spent Sunday afternoon with cutters and billhooks clearing a path across the land of Russian Oligarch, Roman Abramovich, whose estate near to her home is not only guarded by large dogs, but also (allegedly) by men with Kalashnikovs.
How unlike our experience in dear Acton! It is clear from the appearance of shiny new signs marking footpaths in the past couple of years or so that Suffolk County Council’s Rights of Way Improvement plan is having a positive impact. Additionally farmers who have signed up for the recently created EU Stewardship scheme, organised through the Rural Payments agency, now have an added incentive to keep paths unobstructed and in working order. In many places improvement to footpaths is certainly evident, as is an increase in wildlife due to other measures such as leaving wide grassy margins along the side of fields.
Constant vigilance is necessary however! Farmers are sometimes very slow to reinstate field paths after ploughing, the growth of summer grass and nettles sometimes mean that wellies are necessary in July, and bridges and other structures sometimes need repair. Budgetary constraints can cause footpath maintenance to be postponed or even suspended. One of the first contacts that I had with my running mate, Councillor Colin Spence, was when I wrote to him about the refusal of the County Council (due to lack of funds) to cut Footpath 7, which leads from Newmans Green to Ovens Green Kennels; a route that provides a pleasant alternative to walking the length of the main road leading to the bright lights and shopping facilities of Acton.
It goes without saying that Councillor Spence took rapid action to ensure that the path was quickly walkable once again, and it is worth noting that Suffolk County Council website has a form on which you can report any problems with rights of way that you have when you are out walking.
All too often in the past the paths were ill signed and badly maintained. In some places in the UK I understand that serious access problems continue. I had lunch with an old friend yesterday who lives close to the South Downs. She told me that she has in the past spent Sunday afternoon with cutters and billhooks clearing a path across the land of Russian Oligarch, Roman Abramovich, whose estate near to her home is not only guarded by large dogs, but also (allegedly) by men with Kalashnikovs.
How unlike our experience in dear Acton! It is clear from the appearance of shiny new signs marking footpaths in the past couple of years or so that Suffolk County Council’s Rights of Way Improvement plan is having a positive impact. Additionally farmers who have signed up for the recently created EU Stewardship scheme, organised through the Rural Payments agency, now have an added incentive to keep paths unobstructed and in working order. In many places improvement to footpaths is certainly evident, as is an increase in wildlife due to other measures such as leaving wide grassy margins along the side of fields.
Constant vigilance is necessary however! Farmers are sometimes very slow to reinstate field paths after ploughing, the growth of summer grass and nettles sometimes mean that wellies are necessary in July, and bridges and other structures sometimes need repair. Budgetary constraints can cause footpath maintenance to be postponed or even suspended. One of the first contacts that I had with my running mate, Councillor Colin Spence, was when I wrote to him about the refusal of the County Council (due to lack of funds) to cut Footpath 7, which leads from Newmans Green to Ovens Green Kennels; a route that provides a pleasant alternative to walking the length of the main road leading to the bright lights and shopping facilities of Acton.
It goes without saying that Councillor Spence took rapid action to ensure that the path was quickly walkable once again, and it is worth noting that Suffolk County Council website has a form on which you can report any problems with rights of way that you have when you are out walking.
