Welshpool Gala 2011 - Sept 2/3/4

It's a good few years ago now since I wandered along that way to take photos down by the river using that footpath. I had a large scale OS map with me and had programmed the route of the path into a GPS as well.

The start of the footpath leaves the main road by a 'disused' farm gate, which is tied securely closed and had barbed wire wrapped tightly all over it. I crossed that and followed the footpath as defined by the map & GPS route down to the railway bridge, passed underneath that before stopping on the path by the river on the other side for the train to arrive. On both sides of the bridge tied to the railway fence were home-made paper signs saying there was no right of way and not to trespass - these were tied so they were facing in, to be read from the railway side of the fence.

Whilst waiting there the farmer came storming into the field on the opposite side of the railway from me on his quad bike, shouting the odds across to me. He asked if I hadn't read the signs - I said I hadn't seen any, I'd followed the footpath down from the road. He then claimed the footpath was on the other side of the river. I reached into my coat, took out the OS map and called back that the map doesn't show any paths on the other side, but does show the one I was standing on.

He was obviously irate at me being on his land, and I'd say it's no coincidence that the gate at the start of the footpath has been made very unwelcoming and doesn't have any footpath signs on it! At various times during the exchange he was claiming the path followed the railway line and crossed the river on the viaduct, which clearly isn't the case! ...so he was encouraging me to trespass on the railway land, whilst claiming I was trespassing on his!

Whilst suggesting I shouldn't have been on his land, and the path was on the opposite river bank, he didn't actually go as far as to say the footpath I was on doesn't exist. In the end he turned and left with me still where I was. The train came past, I took the photo and went on my way.

I haven't attempted to return to that location, and I haven't bothered to return to the Llanfair railway as such since either. I'll sometimes pop over during their gala to meet friends who often have road steam exhibits there, as I did this year, but that's all.

 

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Your assumption re the position of the farm track is correct; this is the one I have used over the years and no-one has made any adverse comment or attempted to prevent access. The only thing I did was to make sure that I closed the farm gate behind me.

 

I hope I have misread this posting as in someway blaming the railway for the behaviour of one of its neighbours.

It has to be said though that it cannot be an unalloyed joy for farmers to have unannounced townees arriving on their land for a reason that can seem absolutely mad to them! Please don't leave gates open, trample crops, scare animals etc. and leave bad feeling behind for subsequent visitors.

P.H.

 

I agree it is not the railways responsibility, it is up to our selves to make a specific complaint if we have one in relation to access (follow the information on my earlier post). Secondly we should observe standard country codes like closing gates et. Land owners and which in most instances are farmers are mixed bunch, some object to any access regardless of your writes while others don't and there are few who even embrace access like the one near the butterfly farm at Llangollen.

 

No, I'm not blaming the railway. But the hassle from the farmer means I'm not very inclined to return to that particular public right of way - it's more trouble than it's worth. The fact that others have found it difficult to find any evidence of the footpath hardly surprises me. As I said, my excursions to the W&LLR these days are to join Messrs Hilditch, Goddard & Milns once a year in Llanfair yard. On the occasions I do go train spotting it tends to involve carrying on past W&LLR and heading to the Talyllyn. Personal preference, that's all. As such I don't have any other, or more recent, experience with locations/farmers/footpaths at W&LLR.

It's one thing for a farmer to get irate when someone goes wandering across their land, it's quite another when they're obstructing public rights of way and then get hopping mad to find people using that public right of way.

I always find it highly ammusing to hear people harping on about those who 'trespass' on a preserved railway's land, yet seem to think it perfectly acceptable to trespass on a farmer's field alongside (which doesn't contain a footpath). Both instances of trespass are exactly the same. Also, just because there's a footpath at the bottom of a field doesn't mean there's public access to go wandering all over the field to find that perfect photo/video location.

As for leaving gates open - in the example I cited above it would have been exceedingly difficult to leave it open, given that it couldn't have been opened without the use of bolt cutters or fencing pliers; it was securely held shut and bound with barbed wire.

 

Indeed, there is no accounting for tastes!

P.H.

P.S. Sorry!!

 

I agree with 'I.Cooper' here and I also agree with his comments re the Talyllyn. I do think that the WLLR needs to take onboard the issue of access to its railway by public footpath. The attitude of the local farmers is damaging the railway's interests and surely it's important that the railway fights this. It doesn't have to confront the farmers directly, it just has to encourage the local authority to put up finger posts.

I went to the WLLR on Saturday, but after 'doing' all the road crossings I tried to find the footpaths and failed. On Sunday, therefore, I went to the Tallyllyn where these issues don't arise.

Part of the problem tourist attractions in the Welshpool area have is that the A458 road encourages people to travel through the area, not to stay and linger. If the footpaths were marked with brown signs and there were laybys at them (as at Sylfaen) then this would help the railway and tourism generally in the area. The WLLR has to understand that the Talyllyn is only 46 miles further on and the Ffestiniog 61 along a road which is generally a fast one for the modern car; if it doesn't compete by encouraging the local authority to improve the infrastructure this problem is going to continue, and stories of farmers aggressively confronting railway enthusiasts, who are after all its customers, isn't going to improve matters one jot.

The WLLR is a lovely railway. It has clean loos, friendly helpful staff, excellent stations, wonderful locos and rolling stock and it runs through some of the best countryside Wales has to offer, but it does need to deal with the public footpath access issue.

Regards

 

Not always the case I am afraid. Stories abound of people who turn up at tourist railways to take photos, do not ride on the trains and even go "up the road" to buy meals "because it is cheaper". Hard pressed railway managements have to spend all available time in a period of economic difficulty, to encourage visitors who actually contribute towards the high cost of running things. Pestering equally overworked local authority public footpath officers would not be a high priority but, doubtless, it is done when possible.

Personal experience in operating a steam railway, which is part of a larger attraction, suggests that most donations (no fares as such are charged) come from family groups rather than enthusiasts. "Tight as a duck's a***" is the received opinion about the latter. Obviously this is unfair as a generalisation but there is a deal of truth there.

P.H.

 

I was on a photo charter that stopped a the Banwy bridge 18months ago. We were told we had access to the bank by the bridge. After the first few run pasts the farmer appeared as described above and we were then herded into the railway fence for the remainder of our stay there. I did get this first though....http://www.flickr.com/photos/owenchapman/5543844597/in/set-72157626321141902

 

The best way to resolve footpath issues is to write to local parish council. There will be a person on the council who will be in charge of footpath access who will know who the landowner is. I would also write to the county council who in an area like this will be very interested in dealing with anyone who tries to discourage tourism. A quick bit of web searching will get you the people to contact. Welsh farmers near steam railways have had a history of footpath access issues unforunately.

I have attended several Welshpool galas and always enjoyed them very much, don't let the actions of one person disuade you from visiting.

 

It's best to report any issues regarding Rights of Way to the county council, which I assume is Powys in this case (correct me if wrong).
If this is the case, Powys CC have a nice handy online form at http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=1831&L=0#c34417
Those who have had trouble accessing RoW along the WLLR should use it as it is not just for residents of Powys.
Scroll up a tad from the form and there are some pointers to the rights and responsibilities of the CC and landowner.

I've found those with an English accent to be the "GerroffmyLand" type, those with a Welsh accent have always been pleasant, if not welcoming, in my experience.

 

Hmm, I actually quite often visit the Welshpool line, I can't remember when I last rid on the train, but on almost every occasion we have patronised the Cafe at Llanfair. Either with simple cup of tea, or by enjoying a meal. Usually just two of us, sometimes with company.

It is its location on the A458 that has given it my custom. My wife and I often visit Aberdyfi and Tywyn where she had friends (associated with the TR) and used to live.

Its the perfect place to take a leak, and then fill up with tea again. Also now we have an ankle biter in tow it gives it a rest near mid journey. The fact that there never seems to be a shortage of parking also helps. We are usually at steam rallies over the 'busy' weekends and thus only visit on normal sort of weekend days.

The in-laws do the same. I expect the cafe actually gets much custom this way.

I must say however that I have never stopped at Raven Square.

I can't say I've ever taken a photo of a locomotive or train on the Welshpool line, boring things compared to my traction engine that I can drive direct to the pub.

 

I saw a large billboard saying "CAFE 5 MILES" fitted to a flat-bed truck which I assume gets shunted into a siding somewhere along the route near the main road. However, when we visited during the summer, it was parked at Llanfair which got the train passengers a bit worried. Luckily the cafe was only 50 yards away.

Richard