Boundary Walk 08

15th June 2021. Starting from Ward Lane, Diggle, Oldham.

Another recce with artist Alison Lloyd to check the route from Diggle out to the boundary and back for our planned walking event ‘Contouring the Boundary’.

Each time we meet with Alison, our map reading skills improve. On our walk today, we encountered unclear access to footpaths, and later Alison found a blocked right of way. We discussed open access land (https://www.gov.uk/right-of-way-open-access-land/use-your-right-to-roam) and the 2000 CROW act [The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act) normally gives a public right of access to land mapped as ‘open country’ (mountain, moor, heath and down) or registered common land. These areas are known as ‘open access land’. You can find out if the public has a right of access to land under the CROW Act using the online maps.], again noticing that the boundary, which was designated in 1951, does not follow open access land boundaries. We followed a double walled bridleway back to Diglea and then found our way along the canal back to Ward Lane.