right to roam

[carolynwhite2]

--- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "annemehr" <annemehr at y...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2"
> <carolynwhite2 at a...> wrote:
> 
> > Carolyn
> > ..bolshie from a day asserting her right to roam in the English 
> > countryside [US readers note - class war continues alive and 
kicking 
> > in the UK].
> 
> Eh? Does it have anything to do with footpaths? Or are you a fox
> hunter?  <beg>
> 
> Anne
> --and, yes, I *know* 'bolshie' and 'fox hunter' don't go together...

Carolyn:
Bad!Bad!Anne..<g>.. footpaths dept here, for sure. [*Horror-struck* 
at the idea of being taken for a fox hunter..]. There has recently 
been some new legislation enacted, opening up some previously-closed 
areas of the English countryside to walkers and ramblers, basically 
on private land. More will be opened up progressively over the next 
few years, and many keen walkers like myself have been out in autumn 
sun this week taking advantage of our new liberties. 

The landowners' issues have been about trespass, privacy, damage to 
crops, frightening animals etc. But walkers are mainly an incredibly 
responsible lot, and its been proved in many rural areas that they 
are a major source of income for the local economy, so the landowners 
have caved in at last - extremely reluctantly in some cases.

I don't know about the US, but the situation is totally different in 
places like France and Italy. There, all land is regarded as national 
property and you can walk anywhere you like, although you are not 
allowed to touch or damage anything that belongs to the 'owner' - eg 
even pick a grape if you are passing through a vineyard, although 
obviously you can go through gates and climb fences.