It's at the end of a small section of trail thats very enticing with the gate open at the end. If one (not neccessarily myself) were to not look down there then they'd take the usual path round and end up here from the other side just a short few extra steps.

Seems to me like the farmer has designed it as a trap to entice runners and walkers (I doubt quads can get in there as its after a stile but I could be wrong as they might enter from the bridelway route).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking about the big debate of whether someone should or shouldn't be there but, it does look like an enticing trap right (I almost had my face gouged with it but thankfully stopped in time). Its on the Kirklees Way and I added the wool to ensure noone else has their face gouged...



Its 2 lines of barbed wire if you look carefully... How to have it taken down so noone else gets hurt

If it's on a public right of way, I'd suggest reporting it to the local ROW officer as a minimum, and potentially the police.

Doesn't the path run between the wall and the fence?

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:47 am Doesn't the path run between the wall and the fence?

Thats right Stu.... so to come through the way i did wasn't actually ROW but from the path at the top you can see a nice ST with this gate open. Very enticing so I (obviously wrongly) went for it. Hence my reasoning about it being designed to hurt people...

Hopefully this shows what I mean with the second strava screenshot showing the shortcut i (shouldn't have) took...





Luckily i didn't have any cable cutters with me or I'd have made it safe for them...

Thats right Stu.... so to come through the way i did wasn't actually ROW but from the path at the top you can see a nice ST with this gate open. Very enticing so I (obviously wrongly) went for it. Hence my reasoning about it being designed to hurt people...

It's really not the farmers fault that you can't follow a map is it? He's put the wire fence there to direct people along the correct course ... granted, it could probably do with with some hi-viz tape on it but he's done nothing wrong. You cutting it on the other hand, is very wrong.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:04 am

Thats right Stu.... so to come through the way i did wasn't actually ROW but from the path at the top you can see a nice ST with this gate open. Very enticing so I (obviously wrongly) went for it. Hence my reasoning about it being designed to hurt people...

It's really not the farmers fault that you can't follow a map is it? He's put the wire fence there to direct people along the correct course ... granted, it could probably do with with some hi-viz tape on it but he's done nothing wrong. You cutting it on the other hand, is very wrong.

Thanks Stu and fair enough.... lesson learnt won't get enticed next time. My bad I guess and thankfully didn't have a face-ripped moment...

thankfully didn't have a face-ripped moment...

Yes, that is good but it's not like he's fenced across the RoW, he's fenced at the side of it and my guess (looking at the fence) would be to keep cattle off the RoW. By your own admission, you went wrong and you have to take responsibility for your own actions and decisions. It's the countryside, it's not a theme park

Thanks for the balance and lesson learnt. Message to self: 'Cheeky shortcuts ain't clever'...

You’d also have to say as those are footpaths you are following the farmer shouldn’t be expecting folk riding at speed toward that fence.
It wire strands aren’t very visible though and should probably be marked more clearly in an ideal world.

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:22 am You’d also have to say as those are footpaths you are following...

Bridleways there tbf

In Reverse wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:33 am

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:22 am You’d also have to say as those are footpaths you are following...

Bridleways there tbf

Looks like Shaf’s crumb trail follows the line of small green dashes on an OS 25k - that’s footpath isn’t it. Bridleway is longer dashes.
Could be my eyesight however.

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 12:15 pm

In Reverse wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:33 am

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:22 am You’d also have to say as those are footpaths you are following...

Bridleways there tbf

Looks like Shaf’s crumb trail follows the line of small green dashes on an OS 25k - that’s footpath isn’t it. Bridleway is longer dashes.
Could be my eyesight however.

You're right but like Andy said, it does look like BW on the ground. and I did have my dog (Stan) on a short leash to ensure he didn't scare the birds (there was a sign as such on the entry to said BW looking footpath...

Anyway... I managed to walk through the Wessenden Head Moors on the other side (footpath so I walked/walked fast) after Black Hill. Lots of tussocks and whislt thinking about whether the mud should be called QuickMud I almost sank in then scuttled towards the bank. Got some squares and glad I'll never have to walk through that mud again.

Worth it for a knackered face? Not sure but I'll not start carrying wire cutters now that I've been educated a bit more

Stick with a pizza cutter brother!

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 12:15 pm

In Reverse wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:33 am

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:22 am You’d also have to say as those are footpaths you are following...

Bridleways there tbf

Looks like Shaf’s crumb trail follows the line of small green dashes on an OS 25k - that’s footpath isn’t it. Bridleway is longer dashes.
Could be my eyesight however.

No, your eyesight is fine I was looking at the ViewRanger shot, not the Strava shot

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 1:13 pm Stick with a pizza cutter brother!

Luke... you never did say how high you're planning to climb for it

Not much further... honest!
Moving back into the house from Camp CoVID tomorrow so there’s not going to be any long day rides for the foreseeable. Might manage 15000m. Who knows?

Pretty sure I recognise the location - can you grid ref me please.

GregMay wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 2:59 pm Pretty sure I recognise the location - can you grid ref me please.

Not good at grid references Greg (always get confused even though I did get it sat in the brain once) so will zoom out instead... After Wessenden Head reservoir instead of going towards Meltham, its quite literally about 500m away the opp side... pic coming. Saw a trail runner further down so just mentioned to him to be careful though I doubt he'd have tried doing owt as silly as what I had....

Very enticing for anyone coming/running along/from the north to follow the track I took. Might be a good point to post it on the trail runners forum which is why I was asking if its good form to cut it to make safe (though I now understand the error of my ways)...

The bullseye marks the spot btw

Those are footpaths and Shaf has short cut them ...

From the original shot it looks like the gate is normally shut but has been opened for whatever reason, probably to let stock move between the two fields. Unusual to have wire across the top of a gate hence why I note it looks like it's normally shut. The plastic container at bottom right of shot is more than likely to hold a urea block - gives the animals extra trace elements because the vegetation is lacking in them. At a guess there's just sheep there since the gateway isn't churned up in the way that cattle would do.

When I got to the Isle of Skye road last week I think I probably saw the farmer - he was just heading onto the land where the footpath joins that road near Wessenden Head.

GR is on top left of your screen capture.

You were in a field. On non open access land. Farmer can do what they chose once they don't block the path. Unlikely a fell runner would be in there. It's not the best way onto or off that moor :)

Though, I will say that we see that sort of think about in Hebden Bridge area - usually it's a farmers gate that has be dropped to allow sheep to travel through, but not larger animals.

Good thing you spotted it though.

I have several points of issue with your experience in this case Shaf. As you've had something of a ticking off from Stu regarding wandering about aimlessly on private land, I won't add to this. The main issue I have is your use of the word trap and booby trap with reference to, we assume, the farmer's actions. The landowner is perfectly allowed to erect fences etc on his land and your removal, cutting or otherwise damaging them amounts to criminal damage. It's like someone coming onto your property and smashing your garden fence. Why did you see fit to ride your bike on a public footpath? The fact it's called the Kirklees Way doesn't upgrade it's status from a footpath as you seem to imply, it looking like a bridleway is no defence. The runway at Manchester Airport looks a bit like a motorway but I wouldn't drive my car along it. But the most hienous crime you committed was to use this path in preference to the lovely Springs Road which is an ancient packhorse road, if you look carefully you can see the stones that have grooves worn in them from hundreds of years of cart wheels wear. I've ridden this track dozens of times and never felt the need to go trespassing as there's such a rich choice of legal trails to ride.
Now where's the tongue in cheek emogee?

Thanks Duncan... Yes. I was indeed a naughty boy

[Edit: but the title was a genuine question as I wasnt sure and it did look enticing at the time... regards walking - which I obviously wasn't at the time - on actual footpaths with the bike. I genuinely thought it was allowed and black/white. Turns out it obviously seems it isn't. Anyway, lesson learnt and I didn't know but now I do thanks ].

I'd just like to say big respect to Shafiq. He's been put on the naughty step and had the error of his ways clearly pointed out.
Now, this is the internet. Did he react angrily to criticism? Has he thrown his toys out of the pram in a hissy fit? Has he flounced off? No! Just taken on the advice (and, to be fair, no-one has had a go at him) and faced up to it with honour. Just wanted to say

Well said Peter .