There’s a dispute on the Isle of Man with Jeremy Clarkson being accused of diverting a footpath on his land belonging to his holiday cottage. The dispute is in court at the moment, but overnight vandals have wrecked fencing and a gate on his property.
He would, or should have, been alerted to the presence of a footpath on his land during the buying process. It might be of little interest to those only buying small properties but it’s interesting none the less to see where public rights of way are and how they might affect your home. If you’re buying a large estate with many acres you might well want to be fully aware of where footpaths go and you might expect to see dozens of ramblers a week going right past your house!
There are great information resources out there called Geographical Information System (GIS) and most councils allow public access to this system. It shows footpath routes, some show details of gates and other information.
They’re very interesting to look at too if you like walking!
How to find footpaths and rights of way in your area
Search for one for the county you’re in by typing into a search engine Geographical Information System and the county name. If you can’t find one then have a look on your local council’s site or ring them up and ask.
They are invaluable for giving you information about footpaths before you arrange viewings of a property!
Always check with a solicitor during the conveyancing about footpaths and your legal obligations to keep them open!