Soapbox

Heh, this is a worthwhile campaign folks, we shouldn't take the mickey.

It's easy to forget the wealth of lowland paths that are underused and/or obstructed by unsypathetic landowners whilst up on the hills. Any campaign the raise public awareness of these facts should be applauded.


But if I were feeling glib, at least that strange stile-climbing person isn't wearing red socks pulled over their trousers...

I agree with Alex. Perhaps Jon is put out because he didn't cokme up with a snazzy fluro grapic wasit of his own.

Too busy faffing around with the front page layout... ;-)

You're right, it's just graphics envy. It's a great campaign, no question, but I was worried about that innocent little birdy...

Waddya mean 'faff', it's all gone like clockwork.

Jon - I'm pretty sure it's a Skylark, although admittedly the only clues are shape and the crest and I'd want plumage details to be absolutely sure...

The site is looking alot smoother, congrats to the design team Jon. :-)

Back to the topic, there's loads of underused paths out there folks, just think of this campaign as another huge ticklist and ignore the lack of contour lines.

I may be in a minority with this point of view, but I have often found Sunday afternoon r*mbles in un-touristy lowland areas can present as many challenges in terms of navigation and overcoming obstacles as tackling our highland areas.

A fortnight ago I braved the wilds of that bit to the right of the M4 just when you come off the Severn Bridge into Wales. I can't remember the last time I used a map that much in so few miles - because of missing footpath signs, paths that peter out into muddy corners of fields, and gates that have been left padlocked whilst the stile has had barbed wire wrapped round it.

Lowland walking, we salute you.

I'm going to go and start a new thread about it, in fact.

Mark - as a lowland walker your description sounds about right. To be fair to Kent County Council, both times I've contacted them recently have resulted in obstacles being sorted.

I'm with you Mark.
In between walks in the higher areas of the Peak District I go on shorter walks in lower areas with my wife. Overgrown paths, barbed wire, broken or non existent stiles, locked gates, ploghed fields, finger posts missing, fenced off bits etc all abound. Navigation calls for the use of a GPS more here than higher up!! LOL!

Amen Mark!
Part of the fun of escaping to higher ground is the lack of these obstactles of the lowland walk, you just have to watch out for cliff edges and grade 3 scrambles... ;-)

Looks like lots of "first ascent"s out there waiting to be done. A little bit of searching reveals one very easy local square, though I'm fairly sure I've been down all the paths in the square I'm currently sitting in - and it does actually have several.

If you like a lower level challange I can recommend some interesting routes in Dorset. Unfortunatly and absolute classic on a farm track has had to be closed off. My alternative route over the barbed wire and round the field bondaries looked good until I encountered another right of way where somebody with a tractor had reconstructed the trenches from the battle of the Somme. Great fun just before a pub lunch.

I still have shell-shock from the farm and field mud flats I've walked through around Huddersfield...

Are there oysters in the fields around Huddersfield, something fishy in the cattle food or do you get shot at the ensure the mud gets you ??

Just been for a 5 km walk in one of the less pointy bits of North Wales. Nice clear weather, no part much above 16ooft and it took nearly three hours! Compass, GPS, pacing, it was all needed in order to follow the green dashed lines on the map. Stiles missing, signs missing, stiles off line, gates wired up, masses of overgrowth (in winter), bridges missing etc etc. Far more challenging than a walk across the Glyders in a white out. Having said that we shouldn't condon dodgy rights of way management but it does at least offer challenges.

Try Hampshire

Apart from on main designated paths such as the South Downs Way they seem to be spearheading the drive to get people back to doing things the old fashioned way by using map and compass. Using a GPS to confirm that the slight gap in an overgrown hedge is the start of a path is cheating though!

Ohhh what next!

Yes use the lowland paths and the other ROW like RUPP's and BOAT's so they can use the info to twist it and to claim that the 4x4 fraternity are overusing the whole system and so they can get on their Big high Bigoted horse and have another Attempt to remove another user group from the countryside as They don't like it.

If you don't want to meet or see a Car Don't walk on the Public Highway!


Right Rant Over.

NB: www.ramblers.org.uk and not www.ramblers.org as stated in the text.
I think, Row, anyone who has tried walking the Oxfordshire stretches of the Ridgeway could be forgiven for thinking off road motor vehicle users are at least mildly inconsiderate. I speak from experience. I gave up walking that part of the Ridgeway after my leg fell into a large dried up wheel rut; I fell awkwardly to one side and nearly broke my leg. Parts are so bad and so churned up that the motorcyclists have started using the relief footpaths to get through!
However this campaign covers all rights of way, which include footpaths too. It all seems like a good idea to me, attempting to open up all those clogged up paths we all encounter from time to time.

Well present the infomation to the councill and along too you might find that there has been TRO's in place to prevent this happening in such a fragile environment. And Why does the ridgeway get mentioned in every ROW debate Yes we know there is damage and yes it has been done by the Misuse of mechanically propelled vehicles. It is the councils job to maintain and control the usage. Give them the Hard time over the damage.

kevanliz, lol! have had to use gps to find the path behind the overgrown hedge before now.

all these open space, hilly types think nav on the lowlands is easy!


row...???? who said anything about 4x4?