A week ago now I was walking up on Farleton and came across this new sign put up by one of the landowners - ‘Farleton Knott is open access land. Everyone is entitled to explore it on foot. There are no bridlepaths on Farleton Knott. It is a civil offence to ride horses or bikes on this site.’
For some history to this, the area is mostly common land and all is classed as open access land on foot, but with two bridleways crossing the land there has been a tradition to also take in the other routes on Farleton on horseback or by bike. Whether there is the legal paperwork or not, this has happened for generations with one local who has lived in the valley below telling me he has always took his pony to the top. Locals also enjoy mountain biking, others climb on the limestone boulders and cliffs, there is the annual fell race and some brave souls paraglide from the top. The only outdoor sports not sharing the space are canoeists or wild swimmers as there are no water bodies or becks. To see the many well used routes over Farleton Knott have a look at Strava Global Heatmap -https://www.strava.com/heatmap#14.01/-2.70250/54.21226/hot/ride
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| Strava Heat Map 2024 |
The Rough Fell sheep that live on Farleton Knott are hefted
to the fell and from mother to daughter they have passed on the gene which
makes them the most bravest and feared sheep in Cumbria. The ewes will stand their
ground with any dog and I have seen many dogs whimper back to their owner when
faced with a wild Rough Fell that takes no nonsense from human or canine. In
recent years hardy cows have also started grazing the area to help keep a
better balance between the different habitats of Farleton.
There is in land management terms what we call a balance between farming, conservation and people, each co-exists with the other. This I always feel has been achieved on Farleton Knott and importantly is a place where everyone gets on too and there has never been any conflict between the many different users. It is quite the opposite, everyone says good morning and uses the place in the spirit of the ‘Be Nice Say Hi’ campaign. However, with this the balance can be very easily pushed the wrong way, maybe it’s a walker with a very uncontrollable dog, too many or too few sheep or cows or a mountain biker who decides to make a jump rather than using a natural feature – it does not take much. COVID has meant that for the past 18 months most of the Lake District has been off limits to many people, meaning places like Farleton have had more visitors than normal who have inevitably pushed these delicate boundaries.
So are these new signs a result of COVID or a landowner wanting to protect its legal status of the land or a bit of both? How do we move forward? Will the past and current status quo of how people use Farleton Knott have changed forever by a few signs?
If we moved Farleton Knott 55 miles north we would not be
having this conversation as Scotland has the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which gave people the ‘right
to roam’ for all as long as you adhere to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Wales now has
the ‘Trails for Wales’ review of their access laws and are currently in the
process of consultation to open up their countryside to all (https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/trails-wales-what-happens-now#What's%20this%20all%20about) However, in England we just have our out of date rights of way system that
really are at best disjointed and only benefit those that walk. With only 22%
of Right of Way in England and Wales being bridleways and byways in some parts
of the country you can really struggle to find good off road routes. If you are
a mountain biker, horse rider or a disabled users then we are in the unfortunate
position to see footpaths and the right to roam on foot over open access land
as a major barrier to our access.
When will access laws change in England? I do not have the
answers, but as I write it feels like this is the new #RightToRoam or we should
say #RightToRoamForAll
Have you been in contact with the Open Spaces Society about this? You may find that under the 1923 Law of Property Act, as part of the Lake District was managed by an urban district council, that horse riders have a right to 'fresh air and exercise'. there. You need to check the boundaries of the common land and of the old urban district council It could explain why people have used this common for riding for such a long time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, will look this, but have a feeling they will be normal commons.
DeleteI have lived walking distance from the fell for over 20 years. I have walked it almost daily in all conditions. Mum and I used to ride our horses up it maybe 15-18 years ago. I also mountain bike. I have biked it maybe half a dozen times, but the tyres make a mess of the paths when it's soft and I don't think it's right to damage/erode it that way, so I don't now. I have seen lone runners with dogs be unpleasant to the occasional biker, which is a shame. I think it comes down to understanding the environment of the fell, its value to nature, the importance of what it supports and respecting that. Alas, many people have little knowledge or interest in nature, ecology, wildlife and therefore unintentionally impact negatively on it in the way they use it. It's a really tricky one.....
ReplyDeleteagree, its how we get this message across is the really hard bit. Farleton ground is normally pretty good at taking lots of traffic, but its being responsible and knowing that when it wet you don't use areas like this.
DeleteHi Hannah - I was intrigued by the sudden arrival of those signs, so I've done a little research. The Tithe records for Farleton Township (Beetham Parish) of 1841 list the section of the Knott where the signs have been placed as being owned by the Township of Farleton. It should be possible to get the Finance Act 1910 records from Kendal Archives which would also show who owned it at that time. After that, there will be Parish Council Records, which may shed some light on the rights to use the common. Hope this helps. Di.
ReplyDeletethanks, good idea I will look into this.
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