From the editor: I love to hear from you when you have done one of these walks and enjoyed it. If you find anything in any of the walks that needs urgent correction, please let me know. But, see the guidelines below.
For feedback, please use feedback@fancyfreewalks.org.
For general enquiries, please use info@fancyfreewalks.org.
This is an amateur project with only one (very part-time!) editor. Since its launch in 2009, the number of correspondents has grown enormously to about 1500! So when you send in new corrections to a walk please follow these rules ...
1. Always make sure you have the latest version of the guide, by going to this website. Quite a lot of walkers go to the trouble to point out changes which have already been made to the guide notes. This takes me a lot of time to sort out!
2. Be precise. Comments like 'this section is unclear and needs to be rewritten' or 'the route through this area has changed' are no use unless you give me a replacement text. Avoid 'some of the stiles are now gates' or 'some of the paths in this section are overgrown' because I can't edit that in.
3. Please pinpoint the location and the place in the text, e.g. 'Leg 1 Section 2, near end'. Or quote a unique bit of the text.
4. Be brief with the corrections, e.g. 'stile is now a modern kissing gate' or 'fingerpost on the ground' rather than a long anecdote, amusing though it may be to read!
5. This is a collaborative project - not a public service! Please don't ask for any section to be re-walked or investigated. Do as much as you can and, if possible, send in the changes so I can edit them in. Do not give up! If you find an obstacle, try to find a way round. Do not begin your message with 'We tried ...'.
6. Notify the County Council (see below) rather than me about problems that urgently need fixing. (I'm sorry, I can't do that for you!)
7. Don't suggest an alternative route because I would have to re-do the maps and the GPX! (I could offer them as a hint in brackets).
8. Don't write in about seasonal problems if they are in the summary on Page 1. See below re mud and undergrowth.
9. Don't suggest extra detail unless that detail is needed either (a) to identify the right path where there is a choice; or (b) as necessary reassurance that the walker is on the correct route; or (c) as a point of genuine interest. (I strike a balance between precision and long-windedness.)
In 2020, I do not make temporary changes to account for the Lockdown, because walkers know the score.
10.Don't send me a review of the writing style, the relevance of topics in the text, or the general contents of the website. Stick strictly to editorials. This is a personal project and I am not writing for publication elsewhere.
Mud is a perennial seasonal problem. I cannot update the walks each season to warn about mud and waterlogging. If the walk is affected there should be a warning on the front page telling walkers to wear good boots. It's no use pinpointing specific places in the text except to tell the walker how to avoid the mud or water ('take a high path', 'straddle the mud', 'circumvent' etc.). A walk might be completely dry in summer and I don't want to put people off!
If you encounter thick undergrowth (very common in summer if the walk was planned in winter), please try to clear it a little. A good swish with a stick can work wonders. Then the more people who do the walk, the clearer it gets. Again, there should be a warning on the front page. Some people worry more than others about these obstacles. They are a fact of life with country walking and I don't want to discourage other walkers. If you meet an obstacle or find a problem that makes the path unusable, please complain to the appropriate county council. You will find the 'rights of way' department on-line for the county in question. They are very easy to use and can be quite effective. (See reporting a problem.) This site does not have any special connections or influence with local authorities!!
If you want to send a photo or two along with your feedback, please do not send massive (multi-megabyte) pictures! If on a PC, right-click the picture, select 'send to', 'mail recipient' and 'attach'. This creates a blank message with the picture attached and you can add whatever text you want. Remember, I'll be the only person to see your pictures (except in special cases where I can place a link); so consider putting them on our Facebook pages.
I do not have any privileged access to county councils or local right-of-way authorities!! Please use the internet to notify the Ramblers or the local councils about stiles or gates in need of repair, loose dogs, obstructions, etc. They all give a method for reporting problems, either using a feedback form or by telephoning. There is a webpage showing how to contact the authorities: reporting a problem. BUT: please be careful NOT to indicate a danger to the public: the council will simply close the path!