Walking about

R

razor777

Suspended / Banned
Messages
854
Name
Mark
Edit My Images
Yes
This may sound like a silly question but when walking about do you stick to public footpaths (and look for the signs) or if you see something do you simply cross into the field/hill/river/whatever to take the picture?

Many a time I've been driving about and think to myself 'oh that looks good' but then think about some irate farmer/someone screaming at me to 'get orf' their land if I dare to venture upon it. Are there any maps etc that tell you what stretches of land are publicly accessible (for example do those garmin personal gps navigators give you this type of info) or do you just try your luck and hope its public or pray that the owner (if its not public but I dont know) wont be aiming down their sites at you with a .22 rifle?
 
To save you being shot at or just fined for trespass :) you might like to purchase a few Ordnance Survey - Landranger maps of your area (WH.Smith and the like) which will clearly show you marked footpaths.
Don’t forget you can legally take photos in a public place but once you have stepped off the path on to private land any image you take may be illegal.
 
i've been known to cross a field or two and jump a few fences.

incidentally, it's practically impossible to get "fined" for simply trespass in English law. the landowner has to prove that your trespass caused them to incur a financial loss (this is why private parking tickets are unenforcible in law). if you went and broke a load of crops or fences down, then you could get done for criminal damage.

obviously it's good manners to ask before going on somebodies land, but when you're in the back end of nowhere, this isn't often an option.
 
Yeah I guess you're right, I've probably got too much 'townie' in me so feel a bit wary of just running to the top of a hill in the middle of a field to get a shot I like the look of :D
 
Be aware though that shooting takes place on a lot of land, I am not just talking about game shooting with shotguns but vermin control with .177 to .243 or even .306 centre and rimfire rifles.

If there is no public access then its in YOUR interests not to go on the land as you may not be seen until its too late or may end up stopping a bullet that was harmlessly heading towards the back stop your walking past.
 
iancandler said:
Be aware though that shooting takes place on a lot of land, I am not just talking about game shooting with shotguns but vermin control with .177 to .243 or even .306 centre and rimfire rifles.

If there is no public access then its in YOUR interests not to go on the land as you may not be seen until its too late or may end up stopping a bullet that was harmlessly heading towards the back stop your walking past.
Click to expand...

Yeah thats one of the concerns, I was half hoping there was some form of digital/electronic portable way of working out what is public access and what is not. I take it those garmin walkabout thingies do not cover the level of information those landranger o/s maps do.
 
I think the chances of getting shot while walking across a farmers field are fairly remote so it would never even cross my mind if I was in that position.

If you are going to enter someone elses land without their permission than you just need to make sure that when they catch you and ask you to leave you do so immediately and politely. Sometimes you'll come across people who just rant and rave at you straight away but most people will just ask what you are up to. In that case you just explain you are a photographer, show them some shots if you've taken any then move on if they ask you to.
 
Stick to Public Footpaths and you'll be fine. I've walked for many miles on these and never been shot at / threatened with legal action / been caught in mantraps...

The only time I've ever even seen the landowner was when a footpath went straight through someone's back garden She was putting her washing out and we were a bit nervous, after all walking through the back garden of a complete stranger isn't a normal thing to do. But she didn't see anything unusual about it at all and was very friendly. Not sure what she'd have thought if I'd whipped my camera out and started snapping away though...

You should stick to the footpaths though, you don't want to be damaging crops, upsetting bulls etc. Even if the landowner doesn't see and you "get away with it", this sort of thing doesn't really endear landowners to walkers. Use your common sense, be polite, be careful around animals and you'll be fine.
 
Thanks for all the advice, as it turns out these Garmin GPS devices do contain public footpath information so it looks like I'm in luck. Half the concern was if the land was public/private as sometimes there are no waypoints even if they are public.
 
Better moving to Scotland.... we have no trespass laws now.... right to roam and all that... :D
 
DekHog said:
Better moving to Scotland.... we have no trespass laws now.... right to roam and all that... :D
Click to expand...

Beat me to it.

We do still have angry farmers with shotguns however......:D
 
Thanks for all the replies! As for the right to roam in Scotland - that maybe the case but I dont want to be accosted by an angry farmer especially considering I'll be saying 'What?' a lot in reply to his johnny foreigner language. ;) :D
 
To be honest if I saw something juicily exciting to photograph then I would definitely get to it so long as you can get to it without trampling on crops/interrupting wildlife etc etc. I always make a point of walking around a field if needed, not through it.

So long as you are courteous and polite if stopped there shouldn't be a problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top