One of the most discouraging and offensive aspects of some public rights of way is the often intrusive presence of barbed wire. This is found widely in Cumbria, sometimes in the Lake District National Park and certainly in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Barbed wire was ‘invented’ in USA in 1867 and was instrumental in livestock control, enabling ranching to develop. It has also featured prominently in the protection of high security sites, prisons (particularly prisoner of war camps) and in trench warfare.

Its purpose is to manage animals and to be hostile to humans, particularly enemies and criminals.

Very many of our public rights of way are flanked or even obstructed with barbed wire. Flanking paths restricts the usable width (generally considered to be an absolute minimum of one metre for some of the oldest paths but a minimum of 1.8 metres latterly for newer ones), often preventing users from passing and exposing them to risk of injury to themselves and to damage to clothes.

This is in spite of a specific provision in the Highways Act 1980 s164, which many Highway Authorities choose to ignore. It is also perhaps of note that the BS5709 specifies that there should be no barbed wire within one metre of a stile etc.

I believe it is time for user organisations to make a bid to stop this abuse by landowners, who are thus showing their contempt for users, treating them as enemies, criminals or animals, particularly as it contravenes the law.

It is perhaps worth noting that when works such as road-building (for example, upgrading of the A1 to a motorway) is under way, fencing is wooden and not barbed - a welcome sign that it is not a national policy to use offensive and unnecessary barbed wire.

While it is recognised that barbed wire may be used for livestock control, it can be used in such a way that users of public rights of way do not run the risk of stumbling or being blown on to barbs.

In most cases there need not be any barbed wire at all, and where it is necessary for the control of animals it should be placed on the animal side of a fence entirely free of barbs.

The Highway Authority should ensure that no new barbed wire is used and to press for its removal from any path or highway where it is unnecessary and a threat of any kind.

Peter E. Robin

Kendal