THE Herefordshire Walking Festival is due to take place from June 17 to 25, 2023.

Every year before the festival my walking group, Excalibur Long Distance Walking Club, and other walking groups check out the routes in preparation for the routes that we sponsor.

My group alone checks out 60 miles of footpaths and rights of way. Every year we encounter broken bridges, broken, damaged or missing stiles, crops covering footpaths, and locked gates.

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Every year I and other walk leaders have reported these defects, but very little has been done. In a lot of cases, we have taken on the task of clearing paths and repairing some damaged stiles.

This walking festival brings a lot of visitors to the county, and it would be nice if they could go home with a good impression of the rights of way of Herefordshire.

I ask all footpath officers, landowners, footpath users, local councils to report all defects online to ‘Fix My Street’ or to the Herefordshire rights of way officer.

DAVID SEENEY

Dinedor Cross