(content by Dr. Jon)
This photo was taken while walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in SW Wales – 186 miles of beautiful coastline in the sunniest corner of the country. We only had two days to explore, but were able to do about a quarter of the distance. The majority of the trail traverses through private lands, but most farmers seem to be in favour of the trail as it means an economic boost for the area and apparently access to funding for fencing and gate improvements. Visitors are usually expected to be courteous and make sure to close all gates and turnstiles, as well as to stay on the footpath and avoid damaging crops, littering, or otherwise being a nuisance. Seems to work quite well for everyone!
It’s been a long struggle to get open access to the countryside – so we wont let it go easily !!
Whether landowners are in favor or not, public access to footpaths and other rights-of-way are protected by law in the UK in perpetuity. Any landowner who tries to fence them off or otherwise deny access will soon find an angry mob of activists helping them correct their “mistake”.http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=207Lovely photo!