Went on a recce ride yesterday, and admittedly I was being a bit naughty and using a footpath to link a couple of sections, but it was a nightmare, completely overgrown with Brambles and ferns,a with a couple of fallen trees down. Took ages to get through and would be no better on foot. It’s the landowners duty to keep it open, and google says you have to contact the local highways agency. Thing is I can’t see them giving a flying fxxk, has anyone actually bothered and got a result?
Better off directly contacting the landowner?

Contact the PROW team

I actually bought cutters and a folding saw on my commute this morning after yesterdays morning trip into town.
Seems someone else had the same idea and as all the sharp bits were carefully hoiked over the fence onto the railway cutting i suspect it was a cyclist.

Not sure my brushhook’s the ideal tool but it’s capable of clearing most stuff- it’ll cut grass, brambles and groundweeds, up to small branches but it’s kind of high energy and inefficient. So it gets the “does everything, but not always very well” recommendation.

Yeah I’m not averse to taking tool if it’s close but the particular track is in the middle of nowhere so would require a special mission to get to. I have email the countryside access bit of the council.