COUNTRY LIFE
The Footpath Survey
Country people in many places- do not perhaps realize how important the date is for those who take Jefferies' advice and "always get over a stile." A new law of access came into force this year and "rights of way" were given a new definition. Every landowner may send in to the local council a map showing the only rights of way or the absence of any rights of way on his property ; and that map has authority in law unless, it is directly challenged. No one else's map has any authority. Parish Councils all over the country are therefore being ardently urged to schedule all paths that they consider to be open to the public, to collate these with the map of the landowner and if there is a conflict to give notice to the Rural District Council and the County Council. Some Parish Councils are taking no notice whatever of the advice, others are being too eager and making claim to all sorts of paths, even through private gardens. In most cases these are accommodation paths for people on the estate ; and one of the chief difficulties is to distinguish such a personal privilege from a general concession.
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