The following statement has been received, following the parish council’s offer of kissing gates to make access to PROW on Marden Court Farm land easier for dogs and walkers, and the parish council’s disappointment that this is not forthcoming.
Statement from Marden Court Farm, 21st July 2020
I understand that the Parish Council are disappointed that I have declined to install dog friendly stiles/gates on footpaths that run over my land at Marden Court Farm.
Unfortunately, I have come to this decision due to the lack of respect for my property that some people have shown when walking the footpaths.
I have had wire cut under stiles to allow dogs through, thus weakening the stile and making it unsafe for users, resulting in repairs at my expense. I have had gates left open and stock escaping. Dog boards that are on existing stiles have been pulled up and left up allowing stock to escape; fence wire has been pulled/pushed up from the ground and is no longer stock proof.
I have done a lot of fencing recently at the farm, and received complaints that we have obstructed footpaths. If they were obstructed it was only temporary and stiles have been reinstated where necessary, or new fencing taken up to existing stiles.
May I respectfully remind walkers to keep dogs on leads when walking through livestock as I have had incidents of dogs chasing livestock.
I appreciate that Marden is a lovely part of Herefordshire, and there are some lovely footpath walks, but the disrespect shown by a few has now spoilt it for others.
Paul Dawes, Marden Court Farm