From Steve Randall:
Walking home from the lower village to the upper last evening , I brought most of the soil home on my shoes !!
The recent ploughing and planting of maize has once again left the village path in a very poor state!
The farmer has made no attempt to reinstate the path to the condition it was 2 years ago, obviously doesn’t give a monkeys for the path or the many villagers that use it each day!!
My worry is that after a few more years crop planting there will no path left to walk on.
This footpath is privately owned as are the majority of paths in the village and the farmer/landowner only has a responsibility to keep it clear and unobstructed.
Although the mud may be a slight inconvenience it is after all a path across a field and as far as I know the landowner has no reasonability to keep it mud free. I’m afraid the answer lies in a pair of wellies or a clean up with the landowners consent.