Public Rights of Way on Farmland Around Stafford

The rural fringes of Stafford, Staffordshire, feature an extensive network of public rights of way that cross privately owned farmland. This guide outlines the legal path classifications operating across agricultural areas around Stafford, highlights prominent routes such as the Staffordshire Way and parish field paths, and details the legal rights and obligations that apply to both walkers and rural landowners under Staffordshire County Council's Definitive Map.

Types of Rights of Way on Farmland

Public rights of way (PROW) across agricultural land around Stafford fall into four legal categories:

  • Public Footpaths (Yellow Waymarkers): Open strictly to walkers, runners, and users of wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Dogs are permitted as normal accompaniments, provided they are kept under effective control.
  • Public Bridleways (Blue Waymarkers): Open to walkers, horse riders, and pedal cyclists (cyclists must yield to pedestrians and horse riders).
  • Restricted Byways (Plum Waymarkers): Open to all non-motorised users, including horse-drawn carriages, cyclists, horse riders, and pedestrians.
  • Byways Open to All Traffic / BOATs (Red Waymarkers): Routes open to all types of user, including cars and off-road motor vehicles, though predominantly rural in character.

Key Routes Across Farmland Around Stafford

The Staffordshire Way

This long-distance route winds directly through active farming country near Stafford. Sections running through the Trent Valley east of the town—passing through Ingestre, Hopton, and Tixall—cross arable fields, pastures, and private farm tracks.

The Two Saints Way

Following a historic pilgrimage route between Chester and Lichfield, this path cuts through pastoral farmland to the north of Stafford around Marston and Salt, and across rural acreage south toward Brocton and the edge of Cannock Chase.

Seighford and Derrington Field Paths

To the west of Stafford, a dense network of public footpaths branches out from the Isabel Trail and village centres, traversing private dairy and arable farm fields between Seighford, Great Bridgeford, and Derrington.

North of the town, numerous public footpaths cross productive farmland, connecting isolated hamlets to transport corridors. These routes frequently require navigating working farm gates, hedgerows, and headlands.

Landowner Responsibilities on Agricultural Land

Farmers and landowners around Stafford are legally bound by national highways legislation enforced by Staffordshire County Council:

  • Reinstating Ploughed Paths: Field-edge footpaths must never be ploughed. Cross-field paths may be ploughed if necessary for cultivation, but the surface must be reinstated to a firm, minimum width (1 metre for footpaths, 2 metres for bridleways) within 14 days of cultivation, or within 24 hours of subsequent disturbance.
  • Crops and Overgrowth: Landowners must ensure crops do not encroach on public rights of way. Overhanging vegetation from boundaries must be cut back.
  • Stiles and Gates: Maintaining stiles and gates in a safe condition is the landowner's duty, though local highway authorities typically contribute at least 25% toward replacement or repair costs.
  • Livestock Control: Dairy bulls over 10 months old are prohibited on land crossed by public rights of way. Other bulls must be kept with cows or heifers. Aggressive animals of any species must not be kept in fields with public access.

Public Responsibilities Across Working Farmland

Users must follow the Countryside Code when crossing private agricultural property:

  • Stick to the Line of the Path: Straying off the legal line of a public right of way constitutes trespass against the landowner.
  • Livestock and Dogs: Dogs must be kept on a lead or under close control around cattle and sheep. Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act, chasing or attacking livestock is a criminal offence. If threatened by cattle, walkers should release their dog.
  • Gates: Always leave gates as they are found (open or closed) to prevent livestock from escaping.
  • Litter and Biosecurity: Take all litter home, clean boots where necessary to prevent spreading agricultural diseases, and avoid touching farm machinery.

The definitive legal record of all public paths around Stafford is maintained by Staffordshire County Council in the Definitive Map and Statement. The network can be inspected on the council's online mapping portal or via Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 243 (Stafford & the Trent Valley).