Currently on holiday in Shropshire, and admittedly not in the popular area of The Mynd but fairly close by, but am amazed at the lack of signage and the general overgrown nature of the footpaths.
Even the Severn Way out of Ironbridge was totally overgrown in places.
Plotted a route to a pub yesterday and some of the paths looked like they’re never used.
Otherwise it is a lovely place with some great small towns and pretty villages and hamlets.

Anglesey is really poor if you’re not on the Coastal path.

Yeah, Shropshire’s a bit like that, wild and lawless. Also bear in mind that it’s the back end of summer, so most landowners and farmers have other things to worry about than clipping back brambles.

That said, a lot of them just resent PRW’s traversing their land, so just don’t bother.

This country is pretty rubbish isn’t it! I was amazed when I went to France. Can’t wait to do some exploring over there again.

Edit. oh county…

Not a county by isle of Shelly is terrible. Saw it on the map, thought it might be worth a look. No.

Legal reason to carry a machete? (Carry over from another thread)

Shropshire is lovely though isn’t it, it really is.

I do hope you found a stick for easing your way through the natural landscape, dressed appropriately and got some fresh air.

We ought to get a protest together and tarmac the footpaths and bridleways, get some electric gates installed and some shoe cleaners, maybe put some awnings over the paths to stop the rain falling on your jacket too.

Dear God.
Go home for goodness sake.

Have also been walking in the Surrey Hills this year and that has some of the best waymarked trails.
Is it bikers in the area that make them distinguish footpaths from other paths?
Not seen many bikers or evidence of them despite the woods above Ironbridge, Bethnall Edge I think looking like they had some great trails through them

South Lanarkshire.

Chib ye as soon as look at ye.

Bikebuoy, I hope you’re not serious.
I like to plot a route from an OS map and not follow waymarked trails. But when some of those paths are impassable or totally unsigned, stiles that can’t be crossed due to hedgerows totally overgrown them then I find it slightly odd. I’ve no wish to see the countryside sanitised but maintained would be nice, simple finger posts pointing in the right direction across a field stops people walking across a field on several different lines causing unnecessary crop damage. It’s a lovely place to walk and nice for not being as crowded as some parts of the country, maybe I can see why.

You just have to take the countryside for what it is, if you want maintained walks then go to another county that can afford to maintain them.
Shropshire is all the better for not sanitising the county IMO.. (and yes i lived there and know the areas well you are talking about)
You just have to go prepared.

I can well remember that the time when only well used rights of way were known to anyone. The whole signage and maintenance thing is quite a new idea in that part of the world.

As I was riding cheeky footpath trails on Sunday it occurred to me that some paths are so overgrown that they need all the traffic they can get to keep them open – bike or foot.

Nothing unfriendly about nettles and brambles. Just swing a stick at them. I thought you were referring to the denizens.

Countryside doesn’t have to be sanitised to make it navigable. In France the routes are often marked with tiny paint marks on any available surface to keep you on the right track and the tracks themselves blend into the surroundings but are kept open.

You just have to take the countryside for what it is, if you want maintained walks then go to another county that can afford to maintain them.

It’s often the landowners obligation to keep them clear so finance isn’t a big issue (signage is another matter) – nothing wrong with expecting them to be passable.

Posted here before but it is classic passive aggressive in Cheshire.