A Walk on the Wild Side.
basil | 6/25/2006 | 9:04 am
Teal Turf at Stoulton.
Minor Diffuculty!!!!
Birmingham to Bristol.
A walk on the Wild Side.
Recently the Worcester Ramblers Group led a walk from Kempsey Common. The walk began on a warm but cloudy day, and headed off in the direction of Hermitage Farm, Wadborough Park Farm and Stoulton.
We crossed the railway line, (the main line Birmingham to Bristol.) The trains are every five minutes along here this made crossing a nervous experience. This necessitated a coffee break before we ploughed a path through long mowing grass near Wadborough Park Farm, for about half a mile, before joining the Stoulton Road.
After a few hundred yards we turned right onto Teal Turf’s field where they were busily lifting turf with a specialised machine. We walked across the perfect turf to reach a little village, Hawbridge near Stoulton. Passing through the hamlet we then walked alongside Deerfold Wood across some extremely rough ground to cross another very large field of mowing grass, before reaching the Wadborough Road. Crossing an unmarked path through a field of corn we reached the village of Wadborough, and took a path through some woodland to be confronted with two huge fields of Oilseed Rape, we could not see any sign of the footpath and had no alternative but to fight a way through for about three quarters of a mile. Before having to cross main line again. The next obstacle was another field of corn where a considerate farmer had planted Oilseed Rape over footpath for walkers to again fight a way through We eventually reached Pirton Church and stopped for a break having travelled close to six difficult miles. We then set off on final part of journey crossing a field of corn and reaching a field of recently planted maize, before passing through the hamlet of Pirton. Walking through a small wood we were confronted by an extremely high stile that could be classed as dangerous. We travelled on through yet another unmarked path through a field of corn, reaching Kempsey Common and our starting point. We had struggled through obstacles for more than seven miles.
Most of the group took advantage of hospitality at Farmers Arms and several refreshing pints of shandy were consumed.
The rights of way act 1990.
Crops, other than grass, must not be allowed to grow on or overhang a right of way at any time, so as to obstruct or otherwise inconvenience the public or prevent the line of the right of way from being apparent on the ground.
For certain purposes the 1990 Act sets out “minimum widths” for public rights of way which apply if there is no width recorded, for example, in the Definitive Statement (written description of route). When ploughing or cultivating crops, the landowner or occupier must ensure that the minimum width is reinstated, remains clear of crops and is apparent on the ground. The minimum width for a footpath is 1m across the field or 1.5m on the field edge; for a bridleway it is 2m across the field or 3m on the field edge; for RUPPs and byways it is 3m across the field or 5m on the field edge.
These widths only apply to the law on ploughing and cropping and do not affect other aspects of the law on rights of way.
The highway authority can prosecute a landowner or occupier for failing to comply with the law. It can also carry out the work it thinks is necessary (sometimes to a wider “maximum” width) and recover its costs from them.
Further advice is given in “The Rights of Way Act 1990”, a booklet published jointly by the Countryside Commission and MAFF,
Please send your comments to basil@worcestervista.co.uk
