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02/11/2007

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Yesterday, the 16^th May 2004, on a superb May Sunday, my wife and I decided to walk through the glorious Shropshire Country side from Bridgnorth to Hampton Load, returning to Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway.

Using the Explorer map at a scale of 1:25000 from the Ordnance Survey we made our way through the fields and sty’s until we reached the lane leading from Eardington Mill Farm to Eardington Mill (marked disused on the map).

Upon approaching Eardington Mill our way was suddenly blocked by two vicious looking barking and snarling dogs. We naturally stopped in our tracks when we noticed a middle aged female behind the dogs shouting and swearing at us in a rather foul language which I would not like to repeat.

In addition to the noise of the barking dogs a radio was blaring away in the house but we did make out that she was telling us in no uncertain words where to go claiming that there was no right of way and that we are to go back where we came from.

Several attempts to communicate with this obnoxious, rude and vulgar female to establish if it was at all possible that we might have gone wrong proved to be in vain as every attempt to talk to her was rewarded with yet another mouthful of abuse and the threat of using the dogs to chase us of their property.

As she made no attempt to be civil and as the dogs obviously could have been a danger to us we turned back and found another route to continue our walk.

Having re-checked the Ordnance Survey map it is clearly obvious that the present occupiers have removed all way mark signs which should indicate the Public Right of Way footpaths which run through this property. In addition to this blatant violation of public right access they are using their dogs and rather foul and abusive language to deter and stop walkers crossing their land.

I have forwarded an enlarged copy of the Ordnance Survey map showing the junction of paths crossing the former Eardington Mill to the Public Rights of Way officer of the Shropshire County Council and I have pointed out that none of these paths are way marked and that the only evidence left is the footbridge crossing Mor Brook.

Following this disturbing incident I have also asked the Shropshire County Council to look into this as a matter of urgency and to ensure that the Public Right of Way is fully restored to ensure that this confrontation is not repeated and I also feel that it would be in the public interest that the owners/occupiers of this property are severely reprimanded to deter a repetition.

We have just received the following reply from a Terry Hughes - Rights of Way Officer

I was sorry to learn about the distressing incident at Eardington Mill. I have checked our files and we do not appear to have received previous reports of this nature at this location. I will walk the route myself as soon as possible to see wether I get similar reception. If I do, or if we receive similar reports from other members of the public, I will commence enforcement proceedings against the owners

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