Comments on: The Green Trod ??? A Walk Along a Drove Road

By: McEff

McEff — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 17:27:04 +0000

Hi Arthur. That sounds a bit off. I would consult an Ordnance Survey map and see if the road is marked as a public right of way. It seems strange that something as established as a drove road is not in the public domain.
Cheers, Alen McF

By: Arthur

Arthur — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:30:35 +0000

Hi,
My wife and I love country walks.
We still have some Drove Roads in Somerset. My wife and I were walking along one which was clearly marked on the map as a Drove Road. A landowner told us we were trespassing and we had no right to walk along the Drove Road. Can anyone tell us the rules about these lovely important ancient paths?

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:09:18 +0000

Hej Hanna. Thank you very much for those kind words.
Cheers, Alen

By: Hanna

Hanna — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 18:29:15 +0000

Hi McEff
I love the way you begin and end your posts, including what’s in between. It’s easy to be inspired, thank you for that!

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 22:57:57 +0000

Thanks Jeanne. It’s on my list along with the book Greg mentions below. It’s time I caught up on some reading.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 22:51:10 +0000

Hi Colin. I was really impressed with the Britain’s Lost Routes programme. I hadn’t realised that some of the old droving routes had been improved by Thomas Telford, in particular the original A87 from Cluanie Inn to Loch Garry. It’s little more than a track now. I pitched my tent at the side of it one night when walking the Cape Wrath Trail and had a hell of a job getting pegs in because of the tarmac just under the turf. I couldn’t work out why the tarmac was there ??? but now I know why.
Incidentally, on your Leicestershire drovers road, The Drift, the Guardian review I’ve just read about The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane (see Greg’s comment above), refers to “Leys, dykes, drongs, sarns, snickets ??? bostles, shuts, driftways, lichways, ridings ???” as old names for paths and roads. That’s a coincidence. I think it’s time you got back out there.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 22:20:09 +0000

Ha ha. My old mate Timmus. That one was staring me in the face all the time.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 22:11:29 +0000

Hi Greg. I’ve just taken a look at a couple of reviews (Guardian and Telegraph) and it sounds a fascinating read. That’s another book on my list. Thanks for that.
Alen

By: Colin Griffiths

Colin Griffiths — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 19:56:35 +0000

I’m a bit late commenting Alen, and I was going to ask you if you’d seen Griff Rhys Jones???s Britain???s Lost Routes programme, but I see that you did. See, I thought about you! This blogging is a strange way to meet kindred spirits isn’t it? I thought your bit about the geese was very interesting. We have an old drovers road here in Leicestershire (The Drift) and I walked it a couple of winters ago for my photography project, but didn’t manage to capture what I wanted. I need to revisit it again I think. Thanks for a really interesting tale, your documentary style pictures are really good too.

By: qdant

qdant — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 10:09:18 +0000

Hi Alen, I answered your reply to my first comment,
but have just had another thought :-
Is Aldous Cactus a mate of Timmus Eromniats ?
cheers Danny

By: Greg.

Greg. — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 07:35:47 +0000

Alen I’ve just bought a book called ‘The Old Ways” by Robert Macfarlane. “the book is a immersive enthralling exploration of ghosts and voices that haunt old paths ” (from the cover).
His previous books Mountains of the Mind and Wild Places were good. I have just started this one so can’t comment yet. Thought you might be interested. I try to support local bookshops but it was ??20 and in this case used amazon as it was only ??12 and free postage with Prime.

By: mandala56

mandala56 — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 01:03:58 +0000

I got mine from the library, but another friend has it now and also sees the need to own it!
Best, Jeanne