American Reacts to British Foot Paths are Living History
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
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In this video I react to British foot paths are living history. At first I had no idea how British foot paths could be so unique compared to what I'm used to. After learning what these footpaths are I can definitely say we don't have these at home.
Landowners in the British countryside actually maintain these trails through their private land and by doing so they keep these paths alive for the public to enjoy. That's so cool! In many cases these foot paths are many centuries old and the places they take you can tell a story about the history of that particular path. When I visit the UK I definitely look forward to exploring the countryside and enjoying nature on some of these walking paths.
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Land owners have a legal obligation to keep the footpaths maintained and clearly marked.
Correct - the paths were there long before the farmers and the law says they MUST be maintained.
@@martynadams2011bridal way laws
The land owners can also apply for a government grant to cover the cost of upkeeping the paths.
It is not a legal obligation for land owners to keep the footpaths maintained and clearly marked, they do not own them. It is up to the highways agencie or another organisation designated by the Highways agency such as a local council to do that. Landowners may not block or damage the path as per the 1980's Highways Act or put up false notices as per the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. They may temporary reroute a path for safety reasons and if they damage a path must repair it within two weeks. If they put up a fence they must put in a gate or stile so it can still be accessed which they must maintain. Permitted Footpaths which are where the land owner allows the public to enter their land must be maintained in a safe condition by the land owner unless the local council agrees to do that on thier behalf. Some parts of the Thames path is kept open with this agreement.
Another abused bit of history. Footpaths were for the locals to cut across fields before the days of motor cars and every one knew who was crossing and there was respect for all. Now they gave everyone the right to walk communism through the back door with people who litter and case the area for what they can steal.
They're legally protected paths, public right of way. It's not always out of the kindness of their hearts. Some of these paths are quite literally ancient.
Kindness or not, it is illegal to obstruct them/their use - hence many farmers spray crops off along the line of the path, after the crop has been sown/germinated. Joe Public then frequently doesn't stick to the path and makes a massive swathe through the crop. People also abuse them by using them for cycles, even motor-cycles. Footpaths are for people on foot.
There are also bridleways, which can be used on foot or horseback - same basic rules apply.
They can be moved if you apply and the Court agrees, but it is very, very far from simple or likely that one would be moved.
On the other hand, in England, there is no right of access anywhere onto private property, with just a few exceptions. The major exception are the Open Access Areas in the National Parks, where you are totaly free to roam, but only on foot for the main part (also abused).
Scotland is free to explore as you like, but plenty of Scots dislike it as it has led to massive abuse of the countryside and widespread and extreme littering.
Except for military establishments and the like, there really isn't a trespass law, as such, in the UK. If you do trespass and get caught, mostly you would be asked to leave but in extreme cases you can be sued in the civil Court for damages - to the crop, fences, game, whatever.
@@neuralwarpwhence the phrase in OPs comment "...quite literally ancient." Okay I being pedantic
@@birdie1585 We have green lanes that offroad motorcycles can legally use (although joe public think they are doing it illegally even when they are not), but occasionally some people will ride on fields and lanes they are not supposed to too. Most bikers with road legal offroad bikes will ride only on road and legal to ride offroad lanes, from one lane to another between roads where necessary. I only ride on the road myself.
@@HalfdeadRider I am unsure of your point.
Where did I say or imply otherwise?
The problem with green lanes is that offroaders frequently think that they should trash the sites.
I could point you in the direction of one that I know well, but haven't visited since before covid. That was a very rough unmade road over moorland, something like 15 feet or so wide, with 3-6 feet on each side that was rough grass, running up to a stock-proof fence each side. It had been like that for many, many years.
4-5 years ago, offroaders destroyed everything between the fences, with ruts up to 2, perhaps 3 feet deep.It looked like it had been bombed time after time. Some was down to four wheels, a lot was down to two wheels.
I have sat and watched motorcyclists leave the lane to tackle piles of rocks and undergrowth, presumably "as a challenge".
Presumably the Parks Authority, distributed huge rocks and logs on each side along the length of the lane to try to stop the destruction.
Quite a lot spoil things for everyone.
@@birdie1585 my point was more than clear enough my friend, as for the rest of your reply, that's just babble!
I used to work in a legal service dealing with debts accrued by landowners when the council had to go in and clear a public right of way. I remember reading one where the landowner had built big garages across the path. Well after many warnings the council drove bulldozers straight through them reinstated the path and sent him the bill 🤣
Nice.
We have until 2026 to make sure every forgotten footpath is remapped, or else we lose public right of way to them. Some have been lost by loss of records, some lost due to overgrowth and some due to land owners directing people away from them... Trying to get this out to as many people as possible. Please look up "how to save a footpath UK" on google
Good
Perfect 🥰
I hope the man who made this video decides to make the UK his home. Him and his family seem really nice, we could use more people like him.
He does seem a really lovely bloke ❤️
They have to keep and maintain them by law, when Madonna bought a big property the first thing she tried to do was remove the footpaths. She got put in her place pretty quickly.
Madonna also tried to shut down Compton Abbas airfield, a pre WWII site, as it was a couple of miles from her pile and she didn’t want anyone overflying. She was politely told where she could stick her objections.
@@helenwright7360 yes and she soon sold up after that,
Interesting because Guy Ritchie now owns Compton Abbas airfield and has spent a fortune maintaining and upgrading its services and facilities.
In contrast some farmers find it useful to have these paths because people travelling by or through the farm lands are an extra set of eyes to deter crime or spot problems with livestock to report to the farmer etc.
@@redf7209 Indeed. If whilst out walking, I see an animal in distress, I'll tell the farmer.
this guy does some great content, he has been here in the UK for a while, couple months ago, his family was belessed with twins, using the NHS, he now has 6 children, he talks real tho, about living in UK race and all that, well worth going to his channel and watching
Mac is great and with a wonderful family
He also loves a country show, the family gets close up with loads of farm animals and they love the food.
'Using the NHS' what else was he supposed to use in the UK? What was the point of that silly statement
@@ohthechitchat For non-emergency care he could have gone private, some people do have babies in private hospitals or at home using private midwives and doctors etc.
@@ohthechitchatErr, private healthcare?
On a walk my american friend asked what that building was, when i said it was a farmhouse, he tried to shove through a hedge to get away as fast as he could, when i asked what he was doing he said he feared being shot, the idea was so alien to him that its perfectly ok to walk so close to a farm house within sight of the farmer, he now loves the walks i take him on without worry
His first reaction is so sad. Do they really shoot first, ask questions later?
No they don’t but will ask what are you doing etc because it’s considered trespassing, people here are usually friendly and polite, if your up to no good you still won’t get shot at, so no, you won’t get killed or injured y gunshot!
@lizbignell7813 It's sad you believe this story and asked that question.
@joeysausage, do you not believe his story?
@glennlingard7851 I only say what he said to me, plus he said he feared being shot, that's not the same as saying american farmers shoot first at everyone, you can still fear shark attacks in areas where only one attack has happened in 10 years, plus it may be down to a farmer where he lived, where I am they is a old gamekeeper that had a bad reputation, for shooting people with rice from a air rifle and beatings if he caught you on game land (set aside for hunting) my friend was from Jersey not sure on that helps
Nothing beats crossing a footpath through the middle of a barley field in the height of Summer on a beautiful sunny day. Wild flowers everywhere. Small birds darting around. Barley moving in the breeze. On your way to/back to the local village pub.
That sounds bliss.
Yes it does i.e. crossing rough pasture untouched by chemicals (and frankly, I've never seen an arable field of monocrops with wild flowers everywhere) that really does have wild flowers everywhere and at the moment is awash with butterflies, especially Peacocks. If I walk from my house, as I did this morning, I pass through such a field, un-grazed, just wild, that leads to a small woodland, which emerges to more rough pasture (grazed), that then goes onto cultured arable fields and it is amazing how the wildlife drops off as soon as you hit the monoculture fields.
You are so right, a barley field is my favourite, the way it ripples in the wind and rustles softly, then there’s the beer!
Dreams
They are called wind turbines as opposed to wind mill. A wind mill would be for milling grain or whatever. The turbine is for generating energy
Yep so right, they are wind turbines, but we sometimes mistaken them for windmills. Being middle-aged, I do too, but I always try to correct myself.
Wind Turbines are for electricity generation and they are owned by Power comany's who have paid the land owner for the rights to put them there and maintain them.
Ohhh I've stumbled into the "pedantry and state-the-obvious" thread!
By the way, cat burglers have nothing to do with cats, and butterflies aren't made out of butter....Also ladybirds are not birds, and some of them are male. Don't tell the MAGA crowd that!
"Windmill" is common usage for "wind turbine", and as someone who studied electrical engineering at university, I'm perfectly fine with that.
@@welshgit he isnt overly familiar with them and keeps saying wind mill, he wants to learn more about them and he will find the specific correct information on the thing he wants if he searched the right name. Its called being helpful
@@neuralwarp Great information. Makes sense Thor's hammer would be called crush!
Julia Bradbury does a great series of various walks all over the U.K. her Devon and Cornwall walks are very interesting. There is a coastal path around Great Britain.
If you get a chance look at a British Ordnance Survey Explorer map, all public footpaths and bridleway are marked as green dotted/dashed paths, now these paths are everywhere and you need to stick to the path, except for areas where the map is shaded yellow, in England and Wales right to roam areas are shaded yellow on the map, and within these areas you can leave the path and walk wherever you wish, I live in the Snowdonia national park in North Wales, which is a mountainous area with the highest mountains in England and Wales, and most of the park is shaded yellow so you can walk wherever you want to within those areas.
im just guessing that you dont like the new name the Wales government gave it then
@@benjones4900 ?
This is England & Wales. There is no right to roam. There is a right to access the path. Stay on the path, don’t wander off it, don’t allow dogs to run off the path, keep them on a lead if necessary. Be respectful of property, crops and livestock. Close and gates behind you.
And in Scotland you have the right to roam until you come across the angry farmer with a shotgun that Scottish people can't even understand because his accent is too thick 😂
There are right to roam areas all over England and Wales, if you look at the OS Explorer maps the right to roam areas are shaded yellow, most of Snowdonia where I live is right to roam.
The right to roam does exist in England,but it's a bit more restrictive,as it's mostly paths but with some open access private land.
@@0x2A_ As long as you are on a path its generally fine but its still incredibly hard to find someone with a shotgun, even a farmer. Never met anyone with a weapon so far - an earful and probably aggressively attempt to force you off their land but that is about it
@@IXxJordanI quite often see farmers with guns where I live, there's quite a bit of hunting and clay pigeon shooting in my local fields, one farmer has one of those Olympic style air rifles and I see him in one of his fields practising with it quiet often, he rests the gun on his Landranger bonnet so as I approach (I'm a fell runner) I always check which direction he's shooting so I pass behind him.
England has 146,000km(91,000miles) of public footpaths, and Wales more than 26,000km(16,000miles) Landowners are obliged by law to keep these footpaths free of obstruction and will receive notifications and fines if the footpaths are not kept clear. I've received a few notifications myself when a path is becoming a bit overgrown..
Notifications?
@@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek A letter from the local council notifying that a homeowner is causing an obstruction of a pathway and unless resolved by the homeowner, council will take action. So in my case, my hedge may have grown too far into the pathway and unless I cut it back, the council will do what it feels necessary.
Thank you
How far do the paths go ? The entire length of the country ! It’s a massive interconnected network of thousands of miles covering the entire UK. They are in EVERY village, town, city, county, farmland, national parks, moorland, forestry, along the coast, across mountain ranges……everywhere. You cannot drive more than a few miles in any direction without seeing a footpath sign.
National parks, mountains, moors etc often are not crossed by footpaths in this way, because it's 'open access' meaning that you can go anywhere, unlike normal footpaths through private land, where you have to stick to the path.
Of course national parks, mountains, moors still have paths, but that's for ease of access & safety more than anything else.
Some footpaths are Roman roads, known by their straightness from A to B. Others were set by monks crossing places with old slabs and sandstones underfoot.
FYI, a 'windmill' is a mill for grinding cereals using wind power. When you generate electrical power using wind it is referred to as a wind turbine.
Some windmills were used to pump water in the fens to drain them, something we learned from the Dutch and some came over from the Netherlands to set them up. We just don't have an alternative word for mill in this case, they also look like a windmill used for grinding cereals so it is as good a choice as any.
@@martinconnelly1473 Surely wind pump would suffice?
From which we can access free wind power. We have free tidal power and we are great at catching all that free solar power too.
Hello. Many of our public footpaths were walkways that were short cuts to villages or to churches. All our public footpaths are public rights of way even if they cross private land. Being on private land is not a criminal offence (Government land an exception) but a civil offence. You cannot be arrested unless you commit an offence such as damage. Our government mapping agency, Ordnance Survey, provide for sale maps of all scales. The Landranger series at a scale of 2cm to the kilometre is the best for walking showing the public footpaths and if you can read them all the info you need for a good hike like steepness of hills (from contour lines). These can be bought from many bookshops or direct from OS online.
Rather than the Landranger 1:50,000 maps, the Explorer series 1:25,000 give much more information at a larger scale that is more suited to walking. Landranger maps are denoted in red covers and Explorer maps in yellow with the smaller local 1:25,000 in green covers. Care must be taken as the footpaths shown may not be fully up to date. Some may be extinguished and others diverted, and yet others redesignated. For certainty, the 'definitive maps' held at the County Council planning department will show the latest situation.
@@clivewilliams3661 You're going to be fine walking on a path if it's shown on an OS map, as long as it's a reasonably recent printing. As the parent comment points out, trespass is not a crime in England & Wales so the worst that can happen is the landowner will ask you to leave.
@@nbartlett6538 I would not trust the OS maps as being definitive because the land changes all the time and it takes a reasonable length of time for the OS to update them, usually two or more years. I have had the latest OS maps that I have found to be at least 5 years out of date, when compared with actual measured surveys. It would be embarrassing if you walked a path shown on the OS that has been relocated or extinguished since the map's latest compilation. The probable ensuing argument with the landowner could get violent especially if you asserted your perceived right against the landowner's. Remember he could use 'reasonable force' to remove you from his land.
I respect the ownership of the land that I am crossing so I would not abuse it by wandering off the path knowing that all the landowner could do is ask me to leave. I am sure you would not appreciate it if whilst you were out I came and enjoyed your garden for the afternoon?
The local council has to have an up-to-date record of the public footpaths in there area.
Ask for the Rights of Way officer.
@@clivewilliams3661 No, of course it would not be embarrassing if I walked a path marked on the OS map.
If a landowner turned violent as a result then the landowner is committing a crime, not me. He could call the police if I refused to leave his land, but of course I would leave peacefully once the facts have been established.
In your world, any person wishing to ramble through the countryside would first have to trawl through the archives of any number of council offices and registrars across the country. That is a policy designed to keep us locked up in our homes and prevent us from using those rights of way at all. No! I do not comply.
As for whether I'd like it if you came to enjoy my garden for the afternoon, it's a completely stupid argument because there is no right of way through my garden marked on any map. If there *was* a marked right of way, then I would have known about it when buying the property and would have no business complaining when people use it.
Why they are living history is because the paths have been recorded as being footpaths for hundreds if not a thousand years or more. They are important and have to be maintained by the farmers that own the land. The farmers don't have a choice
Footpaths are historic to churches, cathedrals like pilgrims way ect alot were drovers ways , or routes used to markets ect most date back hundreds if not thousands of years.
My parents have one through their land in NE England. As long as people close the gate after them and don't let the live stock out they are always welcome.
We have what we call a public right of way on many ancient footpaths. On Dartmoor, near where I live, there are some ancient paths which were walked by the monks of the nearby abbeys.
Dartmoor is the most amazing place to visit! Prehistory at ever turn, rows of standing stones everywhere. A truly wonderful place!
I used to live and work in Ashburton. It was always nice to have Dartmoor right there on the doorstep. Brought me back to my youth when my grandparents lived in Okehampton and we'd take the dogs across Dartmoor and do a bit of letterboxing. And climb the Tors, I had to, I was a kid.
When Madonna was married to Guy Ritchie and they lived in a mansion in the UK countryside. She went wild with anger as people walked right in front of their house, on their land on one of those footpaths... so funny 😂
I think she tried, and failed, to have the footpath moved.
You might find it interesting to look into old english holloways - they're paths that have been used for so long that they've actually cut into the earth, with foliage growing around them, so they're almost like tunnels. They're absolutely wild to look at, and it really feels like you're walking into the past, or maybe even another world entirely, when you're on one
Just goes to show how old the UK is and how we are steeped in history.
we also have a ton of bridleways, which is where you can ride horses, also byways which you can walk along. There are many many paths, they are public rights of way. There are many walking paths, i think you can walk from john o groats to lands end. There are lots of informational leaflets on the walking paths from information centres. If you have a po box, then i can get some leaflets sent out to you for you to read. Kindest regards from England xxx
I'm in the south east of England in Kent, farmers fields everywhere I often walk these pathways like he said you can walk through the middle of a field where the path will lead to a gate and then another field . It's a lovely walk especially on a summers evening 😊
Just a change of subject Steve, but something you mentioned. Those are wind turbines that were in the field. Windmills are a whole other structure where they would mill their crop into flour back in the day. There are some windmills left but most have been restored as private homes 😊
two of England's oldest footpaths are just up the road from me. One is over 80 miles long. England (if and when the footpath is completed) will have the world's longest coastal footpath totalling 2,700 miles
There are over 16000 miles of legally protected footpaths in the uk.
16,000 miles is the amount of cycle paths, there's also 20,000 miles of bridle paths for horse riders. but foot paths out number them all, there's over 140,000 miles of foot paths in England & Wales.
I belong to a 'Footpaths group' we sometimes have to walk very close to or even through someone's garden. One of the things about walking a path is the very action of doing so keeps it open, so anyone wanting to close or have it diverted cannot say it has fallen into disuse.
The footpaths were there before the countryside was divided up into farms and fields. The 'private property' happens to lie on both sides of the public footpath just like having property on both sides of a public road. Farmers a supposed to raise their ploughs out of the ground when the cross a footpath. In our county, the county council maintains the sign posts, foot bridges and stiles on footpaths.
There is a mapped register of "rights of way" across farmland and countryside like this in England and Wales. Each county holds official records. There is is major network across the country, although they may need to be connected by walking along lanes or roads as well. Many long distance routes have been created from linking different rights of way. The rights of way are shown on Ordnance Survey maps. It is the responsibility of farmers to keep the routes open and maintained, although this is done better in some parts of the country than others. In my very rural part of mid Wales there are not so many walkers and some marked rights of way are difficult to follow across farmland and not really maintained. Walkers have responsibility not to litter or disturb or stray from the official routes. There can be problems when dogs are not kept under control among sheep, for example.
In upland areas of England and Wales there are large tracts of "open access" land also marked on Ordnance Survey maps where it is more like the Scottish "right to roam".
At the moment there is the prospect of little used rights of way falling out of the official records which could reduce access quite a bit in some areas of the country.
Not just farmland we have one run through our garden
Footpaths are lovely and you can meet amazing people walking on them and friendly dogs. They are very often connected. You can cross the country on footpaths. You may like to watch a video about the Ridgeway, an ancient trackway that links some incredible ancient sites.
I always enjoy this former Virginia resident and his large family introducing US viewers to unusual aspects of the UK living experience. You mention hiking trails. Long-distance paths certainly exist in the UK, some reaching well over 200 miles in length. The ones covered here are local public footpaths.
Not only that he highlights what we Brits often take for granted. I know all about footpaths and walk many and frequently. But watching this suddenly made me take notice and appreciate this feature of our country in a way I hadn't before. Mac has done this in other videos too - cheese rolling, shin kicking and other daft events we have. I salute these "through an outsiders eyes" videos for showing me the ordinary can be extraordinary and to be valued.
UK has the largest offshore windfarm in the world, we provide electricity to other countries yet still pay some of the highest rates in the world.
The majority of paths that cross farmland like this were an existing right-of-way that probably ran between field boundaries. In the last fifty years or so farming techniques have changed so much that farmers need large open fields so they have removed the (often centuries old) hedges and now it appears that the right-of-way crosses through private land.
There is a very interesting series called 'Walking through History' with Sir Tony Robinson where he walks the actual paths (major historical) around England and Wales and tells you anecdotes and talks to many people who know the history of what went on or why the path was there. Really, really interesting!
I love these programmes. I enjoyed watching Kate Humble walking the coastal paths, too.
I wish I had the stamina to walk so far - the scenery is incredible.
Thank you. I'll search for that now. ❤
The paths that cut across fields typically only do so because the farmer has chosen to demolish an old field boundary, fill in the ditch, remove the hedges and or dry stone walls - features that a historic path would have followed.
Farmers do this to allow them to use larger machines with greater ease. However they are legally obligated to maintain historic rights of way. Some of them would prefer not to, but there are access rights groups that force them to.
In the south of England, where I live, the South Downs Way run 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. People have been using the paths and tracks that have been linked to form the South Downs Way for approximately 8000 years (Wikipedia)
A iot of the foot paths are on very old maps in a streight line from one village to another as the crow flies 😊
You could probably get from Land's End to John O'Groats using footpaths!
I love the windmills. Modern sculpture in an historical landscape. So many beautiful footpaths where I live, Yorkshire UK.
Most of the public footpaths existed long before the privately owned fields and the roads. They cut through forest or common land, and it's quite difficult to alter them (though if you've got a footpath going right through a field of crops, you can "divert" the footpath round the edge of the field near to harvest time). It can be pretty bizarre - we've got public footpaths that cross very busy main roads (not always with a pedestrian crossing!), and going through people's back gardens or across farmyards. You have to be sensible using them, and definitely shut the gates so you don't let cattle/dogs/toddlers out by mistake!
As others have said, Mac’s channel “The Family” is brilliant. His UK/US prospective is very interesting, he has embraced British life and we have embraced him!! (Mind you, It might be his voice, I could listen to him reading the contents of a cereal box and still swoon!!!)
Not just the footpaths, some of the Hedges and stone walls can be many hundred of years old
Those are Wind turbines for harnessing wind energy.
We do have Windmills, but those are older and for grinding grains for flour. Not really in use anymore. Most Windmills have been turned to museums or there’s one near me that’s been made into a house
How really refreshing to hear that you'd take time to explore properly when you achieve your trip to UK. So many vloggers try to impress with their short trips in which they rush from site to site, seeing lots of tourist hot spots but not really experiencing our country at all. It's not just Americans who do this, but they are pretty well known for being some of the worst offenders. It's often seems like just a check list, 'Westminster Abbey, check, Houses of Parliament, check, etc. There is so much more that's fun to find here, like getting to know us, not passing through on a bus or train in the middle of the night! Hope to see you here soon!
Not just farmers it is all landowners. my friends in N Wales have a foot path that comes down the side of their garden to abridge over a small river. then the path joins a bridleway on the other side. Madonna tried to close a path a few years ago at her mansion she bought.
Its generally referred to as "Ramblers Rights"
Hey Steve! So to give you some idea regarding the length of these public footpaths - some individual lengths can easily get up in to the dozens-of-miles, even in to three figures along coast paths. Many are more on the order of a handful of miles, but even these are interconnected - for example, a footpath may terminate in a small village, and from there you could pick up on one of several other footpaths which are part of that "ancient network", so to speak. Or in other cases, a footpath might "end" simply because it collides with a "modern" country road - but very commonly you can walk only a few dozen, _maybe_ a few hundred feet down the road and pick up the continuation of the footpath which just "ended". I recommend looking up a map to see just how omni-present these paths are across England and Wales especially!
Also yes, just to corroborate some things others have already said - the right to roam is a specifically Scottish thing, and these footpaths are similarly useful though unrelated. Also, while the majority of landowners I have come across are perfectly happy to maintain these old routeways because they understand the historical significance and the modern value of having these routes maintained, they are actually required by law to maintain and signpost them. Like I say, the majority in my experience are happy to be doing this, as evidenced by things like the nice ditch-bridge in this video, but there is a minority which only maintains them out of obligation.
the roads/paths were here before us, and will be here after us, we dont own the land we borrow it from the land, the best farmers are part of the land
So perfectly put!
I love Mac's videos with his family, they are really fun in sharing their UK experience.
The path that is near me is three miles across playing fields and then farming land. It leads to a countryside pub!
In the UK, If you build a house over a Right of Way, the public have a legal right to walk directly through your your house!
Coffee anyone?
We have one run through our garden be hard to run through our house as the back door and frount door are on the same side of the house 😂
But you can apply to have a path redirected, which is often what housebuilders do
@@davidgilfillan did was turned down the route is at least 1000 years old and you have no good reason to want it moved so lump it was basically the answer
@@davidgilfillan yes you can, its not uncommon for paths to go right past a farmers windows, a legal case has to be made for reasonable limited diversion and has to go through some hoops for approval, sometimes these are applied for and granted on a temp basis to allow road works or building works etc. Sometimes the diversions are better for the walker than the original route
Wind turbines not wind mills, because they don’t mill anything, are mostly erected out at sea in massive complexes, with each turbine many times the size to produce much more energy. The largest wind farm in the world is off the east coast of England, called Hornsea 2.
Being a little picky, but those are not windmills, noting is being milled, they are wind turbines.
There is around 140,000 miles of public foot paths in England alone.
I think Steve's mind will be blown when he sees an actual Windmill
Many of these places will have been owned through generations by the same families. It's not just "big landowners" but small farms - farming isn't the sorta cool profession many people want to get into, so it tends to stick in the family where possible. As such, many of us have tended the paths as long as we have our fields, it just goes with the land ownership.
Someone has already mention her, yes, Julia Bradbury does lovely coastal walks around the Uk, Steve you should have a look.
Those beautiful yellow flowers are Rapeseed, grown to produce Rapeseed Oil. Stunning when they are flowering. I do a lot of walking in the County of West Sussex where I live. On one of my favourite walks on the South Downs near Storrington, there is an old WWII tank that has been left on the edge of the field. I walk across the farmer’s field on the old public footpath. At the end of the field is the tank. It was originally left in the middle of the field but the farmer moved it to the edge and just left it there for walkers to take a look at. It’s riddled with bullet holes. It was once used by Canadian Armed Forces stationed here during the war. The South Downs hills were used for training exercises before they shipped out to fight in Europe as part of the D-Day invasion. I don’t know why the Canadians left this one tank, perhaps it broke or something, but before leaving it they used it as target practice. I love roaming the South Downs, there is so much history both ancient and more modern. I would recommend anyone checks out the South Downs Way, a public footpath that runs for over a 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire all the way to Eastbourne in East Sussex. 100 miles of rolling hills with stunning views and many little detours you can take across farmland if you want to visit places of interest. Anything from WWII defences to ancient burial grounds going back centuries.
Wind turbines, not windmills. But we have windmills too.
There is a map, called the Definitive Map, which shows all public rights of way in the UK. If it is on that map then the landowner is legally obliged to maintain it, cannot restrict access to it and members of the public may use it at any time. It is wonderful.
On top of that, we in Wales have the right to roam. Likewise in Scotland.
ln the UK trespass is a civil offense not a criminal offense.
only a few very limited places but they have signs up trespass is criminal, like you see on fences of army bases or private company like Rolls-Royce but not all of RR a few where gov doing projects and railways 1k£ fine for going on to tracks or walking along side then over railways fence. but yes everything else 99% is fare gain its only civil so all they can do is ask you to leave
@@stevekenilworth Yes, and if you refuse to leave then they can move you forcefully. In theory they could sue you if your trespass caused some quantifiable harm. But that's very unlikely if you just walk across some open land.
@@barneylaurance1865 only reasonable force, to cause injury would not be so land owner could end up in hot water with law, that why i mention the police they there to make sure no law gets broken on both sides that all they are there for. lot cases they have to get a court order to keep you off land unless they can prove laws broken.
@@stevekenilworth Right, only reasonable force is legal. Some minor would probably be considered reasonable though, it'd be hard to drag someone half way across a field and make sure you don't give them any small bruises or scratches if they didn't want to be moved.
I used to work for a local authority in a section which had partial responsibility for these. There is usually a dedicated officer who checks each footpath once a year at least, in addition to the many visits they will make regarding complaints and issues which need negotiation or resolution.
The countryside is much more accessible here, you don’t need to drive to a national park or somesuch, these public footpaths absolutely cover the landscape. And with the way zoning works here there is not the same urban sprawl you get in the US so there’s a much clearer divide between town and countryside. I live in a major city now but I walk 3 miles, half of that through lovely woodland and I’m in the Peak District with little sign of the city. You can never quite be as far from civilisation as you can in the wilderness of the US but there’s plenty of places where there’s nobody else around
I leave my house and I have a choice of footpaths and destinations right there.
The footpaths actually appear on big scale maps to help walkers. My favourite ones are through low hills and alongside little streams and through villages .... all of it!!!!
You can walk coast to coast on these paths. They are connected and there are thousands of miles of them. If a company wants to build a factory on a footpath they have to make sure the footpath stays available to all, free.
I live in the country and footpaths cutting accross fields are the best way to get around on foot, there are other ways I can go but they're a lot longer. As long as you close gates and dont take the piss then theres no worries. Really nice way to spend a summer evening just going for a walk.
They are legally obliged to upkeep the footpaths, nothing to do with the kindness of their hearts.
Not all farmers are happy with having the public wandering across their property but they have no choice these paths were there long before the farms were in most cases and they are legally obliged to protect and maintain them. There are thousands of these paths all across the UK, they are one of the joys of hiking here
Years ago people kept to the path better, and didn't litter. Seems recently littering is getting worse and people take the public rights of way for granted, risking the ancient settlement walkers reached with farmers. Bikes on footpaths, motorbikes on bridleways, people littering, camping and otherwise taking the proverbial are causing conflict with landowners.
@@alexmckee4683 I understand perfectly why some farmers are unhappy and who can blame them. Sheep attacked, crops spoilt, litter and gates left open. Luckily the huge majority of people treat the countryside with respect
@@alexmckee4683 It's so frustrating. I do believe it's a small minority but there just seems to be a lot of anti-social behaviour in general at the moment, both in the countryside and towns. It's bad enough when you have to live with it in a town or suburb, but it must be horrible when it affects your business, or you're isolated and having to deal with it. I say thank you, farmers and landowners, you do not have an easy lot!
these paths are protected, where there is a path through a farmers field, which is public path, the farmer has to keep the up keep of it, he cant also have dangerous animals in that field, like an aggressive bull or something, he has to up keep the gates and the likes.
Two things, these aren't windmills, these are wind turbines which use the wind to make electricity for the national grid (windmills like the Dutch use, are normally for powering grinding stones to make flour). Also we have an extensive system of national Byways, Bridleways, cycle ways and Footpaths with laws determining who or what can use them. A lot of paths are old drovers routes over large distances when animals were taken to a market(town) to be sold, like flocks of sheep or geese (there are even examples of little "shoes" made for the geese to protect their feet) etc. And ancient trails that were used by tribes of hunter gatherers who followed the seasons routes of animal migration. Hope this helps! 👍🏻🇬🇧
You would like the video's of hikers doing the coast to coast walk. It's 180+ miles from Cumbria [Irish sea] to Yorkshire [North sea], and travels through various landscapes via public footpaths.
Many of these old paths follow routes between villages, originally following field boundaries around the edges of the fields. But that was when all the farmers had was muscle power, so the fields were small - sized to allow a field to be ploughed by a team of oxen or horses. When mechanical power came in, larger fields could be ploughed more efficiently and many field boundaries were ploughed over - but the legal rights of way were still there. So even if the farmer sowed the whole field and a field boundary disappeared, people still walked the familiar paths. There's a large field behind All Saint's Church at Buncton in Sussex which used to be four fields. The hedges were ploughed over many years ago, but two paths that followed those hedges are still legal rights of way and the farmer cannot stop people walking them. (One is visible even on Google Earth.) There is a footpath signpost at the crossing point in the middle of the field. But it is often not visible because the crop is usually corn - standing higher than the signpost! There are stiles at the entry/exit points to the field, and the farmer has a legal obligation to keep them free of obstructions, but they are maintained by the local council.
What's particularly odd is that the paths go nowhere: The villages grew up where the farm labourers lived. Now that the farms are mechanised there is very little need for farm labourers and people have moved elsewhere. The villages have shrunk to just a few houses. But the paths are still well-trodden, not by people trying to get from A to B, but by people who just want to get some fresh air.
And where those villages have grown into small towns, those ancient paths still exist: When new houses are built, the old paths are kept and become alleyways between them. This means that although the roads may follow sensible paths to get access to main roads from housing estates, the old footpaths give more direct access across those roads. In Sussex they're known as twittens, or in the north they're known as ginnels. I now live in Canada, and I really miss them: The roads are laid out to make sense for car traffic, there are no footpaths, no pavements (sidewalks), and there are no twittens across between the roads - so when I want to walk anywhere I have to follow the route I would normally drive, and there are no short cuts I can use as a pedestrian. In Britain there are always short cuts, because the footpath layout follows ancient routes defined when walking was our only option.
Britain comes 1st 2nd and 3rd in the world rankings for the amount of energy being generated by these wind farms, so much power in fact we export electricity to Europe
Pity folks still pay through the nose for power in the UK.
In rural areas most footpaths are closed off with gates, or stiles. You climb over the stiles, or you are expected to close any gates behind you. Whilst in rural areas, the landlord is expected to maintain the paths, they don't tend to be too enthusiastic about it in my experience. There are plenty of entrances blocked by brambles etc.
Hi great video, you will find that most paths will connect towns and villages and there are thousands of miles of them all over the United Kingdom.
I love the way the bloke in the video was so appreciative of the english countryside and those footpaths with being an american. Great video mate 👍
Take a look at the Ordnance Survey map (OS) of England and Wales showing all the footpaths in our lands - it will shock you. BTW have you reacted to 'Coast to Coast: 182 miles across the English Countryside'? I think you will enjoy it. Oh, just one more - ' The Quest for England: the Magic of Footpaths by Richard Vobes. Its a bit of a wintery walk, but he explains a lot and there is a nice surprise at the end - about 13 mins.
Most British Footpaths are Public Rights of Way which existed long before there were 'Land Owners' these are all marked on Ordnance Survey Maps, the 'Land Owners' can ask for a diversion around the perimeter of the field but it would entail an local authority enquiry which can be long and tedious. these footpaths can be hundreds of mile long and the make up a network, you can travel the length and breath of the UK and not touch a main road
Depending on the width of the path it could also be a pack way that were used by pack horses to transport good from town to town.
The owners of Wind turbines lease ground and access from the farmers, and Up here in the North of England more and more farm are installing their own wind turbines, the variety of styles are amazing.
Historical Footpaths in the UK are 'Public Rights Of Way'. The farmer is not allowed to block them or prevent public access. However- the public is ONLY allowed to walk the designated path. As soon as you step off the path itself on to private land you are trespassing. So the farmer in the picture on the video has planted crops up to the edge of the right of way on both sides, but the public MUST stick to that route at all times. Some Public Footpaths actually run through the famers' yards in places, and again they are not allowed to block access, but the public can only walk on the designated pathway across the yard.
Where the path in the video passes between the two properties, it is well maintained, but the farmers are obligated to do this - it's not necessarily done out of a feeling of community spirit. Having said that, most farmers are more than happy to maintain the footpaths on their land- especially where this prevents damage to the hedges around the gateway that might happen if they didn't.
Some footpaths are relatively short- a few hundred yards or a couple of miles. Historically they were the direct routes between villages, often for people to get to the church. Others are longer, or are a part of a string of routes that cover longer distances. The longest way-marked footpath is the 'South West Coastal Path' which is 630 miles long.
It took me a minute, but that plant leaf on his right sticking out behind his head got me to wipe my screen a few times, thinking it was a hair. 😅
The farmers have a legal requirement to maintain the paths
There is a map that shows all the footpaths over the country, it is pretty insane!
We have that in Germany too. It's also often backed by customary law. And not only in the countryside but also in the city. But if the "wasted" space bothers you, there is often a solution where you agree with the city or commune to by the path while and also giving a preemption to the owner of the remaining original property.
I have such a premption for the way next to my property, wich is a very unremarkable way, that is just in use for hundreds of years. You can't shut it down. And would have to allow foot and bike traffic over your property due to customary law. But the original owner of the property made a deal with the city to buy that way and adding the preemption title. This way no one feels bad about it.
Steve, you will find in Britain when a footpath meets a boundary hedge or wall, there will be a stile , often made of wood, or sometimes metal or even stone.
We also have kissing gates which allow access while keeping livestock from escaping.
I belong to a voluntary group which often does work maintaining footpaths, for nature reserves and parish councils.
I think the longest path in the UK is the South West Coast Path. It goes through Dorset, Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. It's like 630 miles, but you will see the Jurassic coast.
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While I'd love to say that it's farmers being generous, what's really happening is that land owners are legally required to maintain these public footpaths. You will generally see dark green signs with yellow arrows pointing you in the direction to walk, and they can go on for miles. They will usually lead you to the next town where you may find another to continue on.
the footpath from my village leads to one of the most important aspects of British life the pub. on another note when I was in basic training at RAF Halton the camp had a public footpath that led straight through the camp. So even though the camp had gate guards if you were using the path they had to let you through.
Its not always the case, military sites often have live firing ranges where the right of way is restricted in various ways for safety reasons
If you are ever in the west midlands there is a footpath that follows the exact route Charles I took when he fled London in the English Civil War. There is a tree along the path that Charles was spotted underneath resting that is still there to this day. Really nice scenery and super historical too!
Every area has lots of these public footpaths, enforced by law. They go through industrial areas, housing estates, fields, everywhere.
Fun fact I used to work in woodland/environmental conservation. I wrote to natural resources Wales (basically the old forestry commission, water board and coal board combined) about doing work in the woodlands their response "the mountains belong to the people so you are free to do anything you want" though there is a funny issue in that while the land belongs to the people the trees planted on it belong to the Forrest commission/NRW so we needed permission for felling but could used naturally felled wood as we wished
A lot of people have tried to cut off public footpaths, at my old villiage we used to walk the footpaths every year as a group to make sure we didn’t lose the rights to the public footpaths.(I believe it needs to be walked every 10 years or so but we did it annually) if you buy a house it is possible that a public footpath runs through your garden, don’t expect privacy!
15 years but it needs proof.
@@kaywhy245 thanks! I know we took photos of ourselves at various points and later videotaped it.
I used to work at a UK textile plant and we had a public right of way through the building!
In Britain we have public footpaths that criss-cross the nation and you can walk from the bottom of England to the top of Scotland and nobody owns the paths and they can't block them, even if you have a house and garden either side the access has to be there by law and many are signposted to show where the public footpath is and they normally meet up to other paths for multiple routes in other directions
Just to add, that as well as the public footpaths, many landowners also have "permissive paths" which people can use. Examples of these include land owned by the Ministry of Defence, The Crown agents (for example much of Windsor Great Park and Swinley Forest and many other areas are open to use), The Forestry Commission, the National Trust and English Heritage. Many of the nationwide network of canals have towpaths that are open, and also some golf courses,. Some local authorities also buy up areas and then open them for the public to use. This adds many, many, thousands of miles of walkable paths....
By the way, because of this there are many publications and online sites with suggested routes and guidance to the paths with mini maps. It is great to meet up with friends somewhere, go for a walk, end up at a pub for a pint and a meal and then go home. Did this with several friends last week....
Finally, a big shout out to the Ordnance Survey, a UK government agency. They have published detailed maps for the WHOLE of the UK, showing things like buildings, roads, lakes, rivers, castles etc, and, more importantly, ALL the public footbaths. These can be accessed for free e.g. at footpathmaps.com/
ooh...one of my favourite youtubers is reacting to one of my favourite youtubers; I love it when that happens! "Steve...meet Mac" (sorry, couldn't resist the obvious 😁) They both seem, to me, to be really lovely people...and popular on here anyway 💙
I live in England, and I walk with my dogs all over the place. Never thought you could be somewhere where you can't just walk where you fancy.
If you want a good walk look up the south west coast path, its over 600 miles long and follows the coast through sumerset, devon, Cornwall and Dorset, up and down hills but with some amazing views
You can get books all about historical footpaths all over Britain
Often the farmer is paid to keep the edge of his fields wild, so wild flowers and bees and other wildlife have a place to survive in a cultivated landscape, and also act as a pathway for animals to move up and down the countryside to keep Population going between different areas
To give you an idea of how seriously these are treated. The public footpath next to my house passes right through the next door neighbour's garden and driveway. While its not a commonly walked area it is possible for anyone to walk through so long as they keep to a roughly 2m wide path. The path is also so close that you are essentially next to their front door.
There is a dedicated organisation which traverses the footpath of the UK to maintain the right to roam. It is called the 'Ramblers Association' they organise walks all year round.
Some farmers would prefer you not to traverse planted fields but will allow you to walk around the field just to protect crops
The footpaths are highlighted on maps
There are also dedicated footpath maps.
I agree with most of your comment but most farmers do NOT want you to walk round the edge of the field instead of following the line of the existing footpath because if he does that he risks producing another right of way on his land but this is in addition to, not instead of the original footpath. Occasionally a farmer might allow a Permissive footpath around the perimeter of the field because provided he closes access to this for one complete 24 hour period a year, prevents it from becoming a right of way. Unless, there is a permissive footpath clearly shown you should always follow the line of the right of way footpath as shown on the map even if it crosses a growing crop.
@@pollyparrot8759
Good to know. You learn something new every day!👍
@@stevehartley7504 My pleasure ! I agree though, there is always something left to learn and like you, I appreciate people who give me information too. 👍😊
What you have to be prepared for, is that some footpaths go through farm yards and private gardens. I've walked through several gardens which is weird but they're all public rights of way.