Getting Cows off the Road

Madisonmenece

Unfortunately we do not have direct access to all our land and need to take cows up the road for access to approx. 20 acres of the grazing block and down the road for a further 18. For years my father tried swapping a field with one of our neighbours with no joy even though the fields are of equal size/elevation/quality which would elevate the problem of going up the road connecting our land. Last year the council finally decided to refurbish the road and our neighbour offered a right of way through the bottom of said field, which he had previously rejected.

This removed cows from going up the road, and my father decided he would put a new path through the farm so the cows would only have to cross the road rather travel down. This was not done fast enough the satisfy our neighbour who came in the yard flapping one day over cows still traveling down the road, unknown a digger had been booked to come in the following week. My father was told to close up the right of way which he had only managed to have for one grazing and invested in fencing diggers etc. to put it in place.

So now cows are off the road in one direction and back on the road in the other, has anyone had similar problems with successful solution?
Our neighbour is retired farmer with land leased to a relative for tillage, relations would be a but stressed to say the least over the whole thing. I am also currently building a house on the farm so do have a personal incentive to minimize animal traffic on the road

Markcheese

Is it a legal right of way ?? Or a loose arrangement..
Best thing would be to have a friendly chat , or talk to a mutual friend and see can it be sorted ammicably...
Legal would last resort... but advice cant hurt...

Deepsouthwest

I'd start building bridges with this man quick fast, u need him a lot more than he needs u

pedigree 6

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

I'd start building bridges with this man quick fast, u need him a lot more than he needs u

+1. It sounds like he fell out with yous instead of yous with him.
Did ye offer to buy the bit of ground that the lane way will be on. It can't be that much half an acre to three quarters of an acre when measured.

I know I wouldn't like to give up a bit of ground without it benefiting me at all.

Milked out

A lad down here bought a stretch of ground off a neighbour to join two blocks just for a roadway. It cost a bit but was the difference between cows grazing it or not

pedigree 6

Just to add further I presume the tillage farmer has a gateway from the road into his/her field. If you bought the strip of ground you could give him a right of way from the road gate across the strip into the field.

Madisonmenece

sorry for the very late reply,

we did try swapping fields like for like prior to a falling out, same elevation, same size and same field type in regards to soil/ground type only small back road between them which would of brought more of his land into one block and connected us with the other block, the answer was no or that his field was far more valuable. We have tried to swap the strip that would connect us like for like covering all legal fees and even he rent from us and we rent from him so not to create a permanent transfer and I'm afraid No is alway the answer.

from my understanding when my grandfather was there the land commission approached my grandfather and said the land layout made no sense as his land was above/below our yard and our land above and below his. The grandfather agreed but said it was up to the land commission to suggest to other farmer, he was apparently chased out of the yard with a pike

I would have no problem purchasing a road way from him, but I know it would be rejected .

pedigree 6

Sounds like there's nothing more you can do.
You're not the government you can't issue a CPO on the land.
At the end of the day it's their land they cannot be forced to sell or swop.
You're still neighbours so I wouldn't make it an issue with them.
Salute him when you see him on the road and talk to him if you meet him.
Maybe some day he will sell a strip for a roadway.
But in the meantime stay good neighbours.