Farleton Knott, South Cumbria - Our Right to Roam?!

          

The 1930’s saw the start of the campaign for the ‘Right to Roam’ on foot, but to have the freedom to do the same on horseback or by bike is a very rare thing indeed. You could almost say in England and Wales if you have a place like this it is unique and to those that use such an area it becomes very special. I am fortunate enough to live near one of these rare areas and it’s safe to say that Farleton Knott has over the years become a cherished place to all who have visited. Most people drive past this unknown fell as they speed along the M6 and turn off at J36 for the Lake District.  

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

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.

 

In addition to the fantastic views of Lakeland Fells, the Howgills and the Yorkshire Dales the conservation status of the land is high with a mix of limestone pavement, scrub and rich unimproved grassland made up of Early purple orchids and later in the summer Hare bells. It is a place for Yellow meadow ants, butterflies, Meadow pipits, Whinchats, badgers and deer. The area is designated a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and part of the Morecambe Bay Pavement SAC (Special Area of Conservation), but sadly just falls outside the boundary of the National Park and Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape.

                         

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