Follow the countryside code visitors to Wales over the coming weeks are urged

With two bank holidays weekends around the corner and the daylight stretching further into the evenings, it is anticipated that families and outdoor enthusiasts will be looking to make the most of the scenic landscapes that Wales has to offer.

The two organisations are reminding people to use Wales’ footpaths safely and responsibly:

They are reminding people to keep dogs close and under effective control on a short lead around cows and sheep - but release the lead if they are chased by cattle.

Walkers should pick up after their dog and remember to take litter home with them.

They should leave gates as you find them, follow local signs and keep to marked footpaths and rights of way and not block access to gateways or driveways when parking.

NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chairman Hedd Pugh said: “Welsh farmers take great pride in maintaining and managing much of Wales’ beautiful countryside. It is a source of great pride for us that our landscapes attract thousands of visitors every year.

“As well as hosting footpaths and rights of way, our fields are also a working environment where animals graze. Spring is a particularly busy time for many Welsh farms with new-born lambs and calves enjoying their surroundings for the first time. We ask all visitors to please be respectful of this environment and the animals that call it home by keeping their dogs under control and on a short lead around livestock.

“I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to share this important messaging with our partners from Ramblers Cymru and help ensure that everyone is able to enjoy all that Wales’ fields, hills and mountains have to offer.”

Rebecca Brough Policy and Advocacy Manager at Ramblers Cymru said: “We want everyone to be able to feel welcome and enjoy the simple pleasures and benefits of being in the outdoors surrounded by nature.

“By following the simple guidance in the Countryside Code we can all do our bit to protect the environment and the local communities and people who live there as we pass through, leaving only footprints and creating new memories.”

For more information on enjoying the Welsh countryside safely and responsibly, please visit nfu-cymru.org.uk, ramblers.org.uk/wales or naturalresources.wales/countrysidecode. NFU Cymru’s website also has a range of gate signs and other materials for members that can offer guidance and advice to walkers, as well as informing them about what is growing in farmers’ fields.