Lord Bath to face wrath of dog walkers

t.rowe@bepp.co.uk

Dog-walker Julia Francis is looking forward to "knocking on Lord Bath's door" tomorrow to ask him why she was asked to leave his estate by three "burly security guards".

Mrs Francis said she was walking her dog along a lane leading to the main drive to Longleat House when she was confronted by the men.

The lane, which begins opposite the Bath Arms in the village of Horningsham, is part of the estate, but has been used by dog walkers and others for years.

It still appears on an AA list of attractive country walks, with an accompanying map.

But last Sunday as Mrs Francis, 61, walked her West Highland terrier down the lane, intending to carry on to Longleat's arboretum, a van came towards her and the occupants asked her to leave.

She said: "I am just so annoyed about this. I have been going there all my life in the winter time.

"Being ordered off by three burly security guards isn't very nice.

"I parked at the Bath Arms and started to walk down as we usually do to go on down through the arboretum and come back up the main walkway.

"There is a sign saying vehicles are not allowed down there, but nothing about walkers.

"I thought when I saw the guards they were just going to ask me to keep my dog on a lead, which I always do, but one said: 'oh, you are not allowed on here any more.'

"It has annoyed a lot of people in Horningsham. I know it is private land but what about the right to roam?

"It has always been open and I believe that some people have trees planted in the arboretum in memory of loved ones."

She added: "I am appealing to other people to join me in a walk tomorrow, starting from the Bath Arms at 11am.

"We will walk down and I will knock on the door and ask Lord Bath, or Viscount Weymouth his son why this has happened."

Mrs Francis said access to some other walks which people have used for years has ended but the popular walk with spectacular views from Heaven's Gate, for which the Longleat estate provides a long-established free car park, is still open.

"When I was a child I used to ride my tricycle from Frome along another walk and when I had my other dog I often used to meet the old Lord Bath on the estate.

"He was a wonderful man who would doff his hat and say: 'Good morning.'"

Lord Bath, the 79-year-old owner of Longleat, ceded the running of the house, attractions and safari park to his son, Ceawlin, Viscount Weymouth, in 2010.

Earlier this year Longleat, which famously pioneered stately home safari parks, opened two new attractions which give visitors opportunities to walk among meerkats and monkeys.

It was rebranded as a 'Safari and Adventure Park' after a major £3 million revamp.

Longleat was asked to comment by the Western Daily Press but did not respond.