episode 14: CHARLOTTE DITCHBURN, ACCESS FIELD OFFICER

14 July 2022

I talk with Charlotte Ditchburn, Access Field Officer and Public Rights of Way advocate. She shares with us how she found herself in this niche area of the outdoor world, one that is often not well known to the general public but has such an impact on our ability to adventure outdoors. Her outdoor job has provided more than a living, it's part of how she keeps her mental wellness and lets her connect with likeminded communities to embark on new outdoor adventures. Charlotte was also candide about the challenges she faces as a woman in her role and has some great advice for anyone considering the access sector. 

BEST PLACE TO FOLLOW Charlotte AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HER:

www.prowexplorer.com

SHOWNOTES

Music by madirfan from Pixabay

Resources
Features in this podcast: Charlotte Ditchburn

• Instagram: @publicrightsofwayexplorer
• Website: www.prowexplorer.com

Mountain Training Association: Hill and Moorland Leader
British Horse Society: BHS

TRANSCRIPT

I'm Charlaine Jannerfeldt, and you're listening to About that outdoor job. 

"Absolutely. If I was stuck in an office all day, every day, just doing taxes or something, I don't think I'd be so smiley and happy. So an outdoor job absolutely gives me that smile every day."

This is Charlotte Ditchburn, Access Field Officer, otherwise known as the Public Rights of Way Explorer. Charlotte has recently qualified as a Hill and Moorland Leader and is an ambassador for the Ordinance Survey, National Outdoor Expo, British Canoeing, and more recently, the Green Space, Dark Sky Events. 

Charlotte grew up in the Lake District in the northwest of England and was surrounded by lakes and forests and mountains.

You grew up surrounded by nature. What was one of your earliest outdoor memory?

"So I was really lucky to grow up in the Lake District in England. It's an absolutely stunning scenery. We look over Skiddaw, one of the mountains from my home, and one of my earliest memories is heading up one of the little hills called Binley, which is one of the Wainwrights that people like to bag.And my dad takes me out. He used to take me out in his backpack, and then by the time I could actually walk and start remembering things we're heading up Binley. And to me it felt like the biggest mountain in the world. He was telling me there was an ice cream van at the top, and I was solely disappointed when we got there and there was no ice cream van.But even though it was a hard and enduring walk as a little one with my tiny little legs, it was still amazing to get to the top, to enjoy those views and just to run around and enjoy that outdoor space. It was absolutely amazing."

So you were always a lover of all things outdoorsy?

"I used to be dragged around as a teenager, up the fellas, and absolutely hate the outdoors."

Can you actually work in the access sector if you're not outdoorsy? 

"Absolutely. There's prerequisites for working in the outdoors and working in the access sector. Absolutely not outdoorsy. We do like it if you can read a map. That does really help, but that doesn't mean you have to have been outside a lot. But as long as you can understand a map and interpret it, that really helps.

So lots of people who work in access actually come from enforcement backgrounds because there's a lot of enforcement with landowners that you have to do. So people might have come from the police, people might have come from solicitor backgrounds. There's all sorts of people, and then there's just people who've decided they want to have a change of career. So you could have come from absolutely anywhere. As long as you show you're passionate and dedicated to what you want to do it, you can come from any background." 

Charlotte, you pretty much started working in the access sector straight out of university. Was that what you had planned?

"So I studied countryside management at university. We did cover a little bit of rights of ways, so I knew that the trails on the ground existed, but I didn't really understand that there were people out there looking after them and actually doing that work on the ground."

Okay. It's time for me to own up to my lack of awareness of this specific outdoor sector too. As an outdoor enthusiast and an outdoor entrepreneur that spends my working life, getting people to be active in the mountains, I've spent shockingly little time considering how access is created and maintained.

Yeah, I've pretty much taken it for granted. I'm originally from Canada and I'm pretty familiar with Parks and Canada work, but again, it's not like I spent time questioning who's on the ground, who's providing access to the outdoors. I've spent the past 20 years in Switzerland, and the country has over 60,000 kilometers of marked hiking trails, of which about 22,000 kilometers on mountain trails. This for a country six times smaller than the UK. Who's doing the work? Who's ensuring access to this nature? So when Charlotte reached out initially, I thought, is this a profession? Who are the people on the ground doing this? I've got to learn about it.

Like you, Charlotte, I wouldn't have thought of the access sector as a career option back when I was starting my outdoor work. How did you learn more? 

"So after university or part of university, I did a career development module, which meant we had to go out and do placements, and I chose to do mine with Northumberland National Park and their trail ranger took me under her wing and helped me understand rights of way and what her job actually entailed. I did a bit of surveying on the ground to get a drift. The sort of thing they did on the day to day, and that just gave me the bug for access, which then led to me doing my dissertation at university on access to the outdoors with people with disabilities. And then that just opened a whole can of worms of what I'd like to do."

Before we go any further, let's take a minute to find out more specifically what the rights of way is and what an access field officer. 

"In England and Wales, you'll know that we have public rights of way. So these are the paths and trails you can use to access the outdoor spaces. And this needs somebody to look after them. So that's down to local councils and highways authorities. So those people are employed to look after them, it can be from protection and maintenance, which means looking for obstructions or diverting paths all the way through to just general day to day improving things. England coast path, that was one of my jobs as the council was establishing that and creating that on the ground so there was no access to start with and it's going out speaking to landowners, putting structures in like gates and styles and things to make sure that people can then use those trails and, if they still exist like Scotland that has the right to Rroam, ensure the access for all. It's looking after those national trails and those more promoted routes, so we're out there putting those way marks up so you can follow the signs and know where to go. Putting up information panels that might give you a bit more information about the wildlife or the history of the places. 

So the actual rights of way, I think is basically England, Scotland, Wales, where we call rights of way these trails. So if you go over to Canada and America, you have your ranger service and your trail service. So I think that's more the sort of thing you have abroad. But the access and encouraging people to get outdoors is the same. In England and Wales we have a lot of engagement people. So for the Wildlife Trusts and RSPB and things, we have people who are engaging people with nature. And I think that goes worldwide. People are engaging people with those special species and educating people, and that leads into access. Where can you go and see these species and how can you do so respectfully? So it's more, it's the actual wider access rather than rights of way only."

Charlotte, what helped you land that first job as a Right of Way Area Officer?

"The first job was totally down to all my volunteering, so I had, a lot of experience in the outdoors, which was fortunate for me. But I volunteered with the RSPB in two national parks. I went and did an internship on one of the Scottish islands with the RSPB and that really helped get the foot in the door. And also having done my university studies a bit around access, helped with my understanding." 

As Charlotte mentioned earlier, if you work in the access sector, you're usually employed either by a county council or a charity. Since March of this year, Charlotte has taken on the role of Access Field Officer for the British Horse Society, combining her engagement for access and her passion for horses.

What's a typical work week for you? 

"So a work week for me, Mondays start of the week, we come in, we sit down, we're stuck at the laptop, we're seeing what's come in from over the weekend. We're dealing with planning applications, so making sure that access is accommodated and we can actually get funding for rights of way through new developments. Making sure we're being included in all of those, checking for any general inquiries. People might have some obstructions or some locked gates and things that they might have come across. So helping them deal with those and report those and then the rest of the week starts to turn into the fun stuff.

So we are starting to research historic routes. So currently in England and Wales we have a legal record of the rights of way, which is called the definitive map, and that's not complete yet. There's still lots of route, not legally record. So we're having a look on historic maps, whether that's the 1900s, 1800s, going back quite a long way to look for these missing routes, putting together something called a definitive map modification order, which is the legal process to change that definitive map.

And we go out on site. We have a look at these routes, we take pictures. Some of these routes might exist on the ground already. You might be walking them or riding them already, and you might not know that they're just not recorded. Others are completely overgrown. They might have buildings on them. They're just non-existent.

So we're going out to see what's actually on the ground and then coming back, putting all this paperwork together and submitting a definitive map modification order to the highways. And then you'd think it would be nice and simple from there, but no , it can go on for some time after that point. We're looking in some places at 15 to 20 years before actions actually taken, but at least with these applications in, they are protected and they will be legally recorded at some point if all the evidence is there."

It sounds like you work in partnership with many groups and organisations to be able to provide access. 

"Yeah, we deal with a lot of people, from cycling, government bodies, walking charities, there's all sorts of people. We even get involved with water charities and water organizations, which sounds a bit odd and backwards, but everyone is on the same page wanting more access to the outdoors and it's great to have all these bodies coming together to lobby and help all of their organisation members to get more access."

You mentioned lobbying. Tell me more about this part of your. 

"So I currently work for an equestrian charity, so lobbying is definitely part of my official work. We lobby for improved horse riding access and carriage driving, so a horse with car. And we're lobbying to make sure that all new projects include horse and carriages, that things like the highway code include horses.

So there's a lot of high level national policy that we are trying to get involved in to make sure we're included. And then on the side, in my advocating access that I like to do on the side, I'm trying to push the right to roam move, trying to get people involved in getting the whole of England and Wales with the right to roam as well. So absolutely." 

Your work week is quite varied. What parts of it get you excited to get out of bed in the morning? 

"So there are two aspects of my job that get me that excited about it. One is the historical research. So actually finding these routes, seeing it from start to finish, some of them will take years. So I won't see the finish straight away, but just knowing that I'm doing something that's gonna protect something for generations to come and understanding that people just don't understand about this and getting that word out there. I find, it's just so enjoyable, and I don't mind saying the same thing over and over again. When people ask the questions, I actually really enjoy talking about it. And that's something that gets me out of bed in the morning and I go, I know I've got a purpose to my day, I'm going to achieve something great here. And although it can take years, it's absolutely still engaging and still amazing to do every day.

And then the second bit is just the engagement with the public. When people come and ask a question, they have no idea about the whole realm of access and opening their eyes to that,big niche. So it's niche and people don't know about it, but there's so much to it and so much to tell them. And just seeing people's faces go, Oh, there's so much I didn't know about this. and they go away and they learn from it. And whether that's just one tiny piece of information they take away to improve their local access, or whether that's them going away to start lobbying and taking on the big dogs at the top. It's amazing just to see people engaging and that passion that enlighten in someone else. It's really enjoyable." 

What you quickly realize when speaking with Charlotte is her passion for access and getting people out in nature is boundless. I asked what fed that passion.

"So it's providing those spaces for people to get outside and enjoy nature and enjoy getting outdoors. So you might have a little green space in the city that you can go and sit on a park bench, or you might have in your little village a little path that takes you down to school. But these trails can take you anywhere and everywhere. If you really wanted to, you could walk the length and breadth of England, Wales, and Scotland, and it's these spaces that, especially through the Coronavirus Pandemic, people have really valued and realized the worth of them. So having a role in protecting and extending those is something I'm really passionate about."

And that outdoor job Charlotte thrives on, it's played a huge role in the lifestyle she's created for. 

"I absolutely love the outdoors since I've been an adult. And my outdoor job has led me to meet so many different people from so many walks of life, and that's meant opening up paddle boarding for me. I've actually just qualified as a Hill and Moorland Leader, so to take other people outdoors, and that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't met some of the people a long way. That has opened up so many doors for me and so many other outdoor experiences. And through the access sector, I've met people who do group walks and things and group swims and things like that. So It's been amazing to me, all these other like-minded people that I didn't even know existed and developed such great friendships and lifelong connections with."

This isn't to say that because Charlotte has been able to make her passion her career, that there aren't some aspects of the job that she doesn't find challenging. 

What elements of the job are the ones you find most challenging to deal with? 

"Top three. So number one is landowner and their general responses to anything we deal with. Some of them can be so positive and over the top, they're so keen to get things done. But they need to rein it in a little bit and think about, hang on a minute, what are the consequences of this gonna be? How can we actually achieve this? And of course, there's also the negative landowners that are not happy about problems going on, not happy about people accessing the land. Lots of people do stray off the rights of way, so they're rightfully angry, but there's nothing I can do about that, that's a, a problem for them and the police, which is a very hard thing for them to deal with. 

Number two is, I think, general public and managing expectations. Lots of people think we are going to move the world for them and we can achieve whatever they've asked. And I would really like to, in most cases, lots of the things they're asking for I would like to achieve, but actually in the long term, it's maybe not so easy to achieve. If they want a brand new bridal away that they think they could achieve with the landowners, it's sometimes not that easy.

And then number three is just managing general workload in life and in personal life. The world seems to have got a lot more chaotic since I was enjoying the fells as a child and  a carefree world that I used to live in. Expecting to be able to achieve everything all at once and take on all of these commitments, take on all of these new things that I really want to do, but finding that life can get quite full on and I need a bit of downtime. And I used to get angular fever and tonsillitis and all sorts cause I never used to be able to manage all of these things. So deciding what's a priority and making time for me has been a big thing. And I think everyone needs to do that, whether you're at work or at home, everything can get a little bit much. So prioritizing what needs doing and what can wait till tomorrow."

Many of us struggle with prioritising. Any tips to share that have worked for you? 

"I just think about what's important for me, what's important for work, and then I always need to think about me first. So I used to put everyone else first and now I think about me and it doesn't always mean that I can't do things. It doesn't mean that I am not gonna achieve them, but it might mean that it's gonna get done a little bit later or take me a little bit longer. And people are generally quite open and happy with that. If I say, look, I'm gonna be able to do it, but can you give me seven days or three days or whatever to achieve it. Then people are really receptive to it and they're quite happy with it, which I never really understood before and I didn't think that was okay to do. So now I need to think about putting myself first and just slowing things down a little bit, but it seems to be working."

Like many other areas in the outdoor industry, the access sector is still dominated by men. Though, Charlotte has witnessed things changing. In her experience as a Right of Way Area Officer, the team she was part of had more women than men. I asked her how this gender gap impacted her role. 

Have you found it challenging to be accepted as a woman in the access sector?

"Perception of the public is women are maybe not as authoritative and as harsh with the enforcement side of things. And we come up against landowners that don't like being told they need to do something by a young woman. And there's very much a generational mindset, and that is slowly changing. I think the younger generations coming through are much more understanding, but I think that will always be an ingrained part of, well I've done this all my life and I've been here for 70, 80 years doing this. Why should I suddenly change it because you've come and told me as a young woman. Whereas they're a bit more receptive to men coming in. They think they have a bit more understanding of their situation, and especially if they're a bit older, they find it a lot easier to speak to them. So it's been a really interesting and challenging way to find your way through of the best way to speak to people and the best way to get the best outcome."

Part of the mission of the series Women in Outdoor Jobs is to share the stories and experiences of women like Charlotte who successfully made the outdoors they're living, so that women who want to achieve that for themeselves  can benefit from their learnings and advice. 

What's some of the best advice you've received that's helped you in your work?

"So my original manager told me to take a step back from things, to not get an instant reaction, to maybe think about the bigger picture, think about what other things I could say or do in those situations before I instantly go back. So, I found at the start, if people are really aggressive towards you, you can put a wall up straight away and just, Well, I'm not gonna help you. Whereas if you take a step back for a minute, you think about what maybe has triggered this, what has upset them, letting them have a bit of time to talk. And then maybe I will give a different response too than if I just instantly respond to those issues. And again, if people are getting upset about rights of way going through their land of course. they're gonna be upset. They didn't know anything was there and they don't want the public in there. But actually, if you talk to them sensibly about the process, about why we're doing it, about, actually, there are historical rights here that have always been there. We're not creating anything new and then people seem to calm down a little bit. And I can be quite an instant reactive person. So , it's really hard for me to take a step back for a second and go, hang on, let's let the situation lie out in front of me and look at the different responses and different issues that have started this and think about it a bitt more, which has really helped in the day to day job and in general life. I can be quite reactive to family and friends if  I'm not too happy about something and actually you get a much better outcome if you just take a minute to think about everything first." 

And what are the personal traits that you think help somebody be successful in this kind of job? 

"So,  I think I'm very determined . Whether people want to have me or not I think I'll eventually be there. . When I first left university, I applied for 48 jobs, got 12 interviews, didn't get offered a single job . So I think that determination to still carry on even when you get all the knock backs is really key. You need to just learn to step back from it. Yes, those individual knock backs can feel really hard and deep at the time, but if you actually step back and look at the long term goals, it's determination that will get you in the end.

And then just being enthusiastic and passionate. So I never used to be this happy and enjoy  outdoors as much. I used to be dragged around as a teenager, up the fells and absolutely hate the outdoors . But having been to university, I was actually diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression and had a really rough time and found that being down and I had some professional help, but actually coming out the other end, having a positive attitude to everything really helps you get through those things and finding light at the end of the tunnel. So, not forcing myself to be positive, but making sure that I take a second to reflect and think about the good things, even if everything seems a bit dark, really helps to get you through and just helps everyone else I find. If you've got a smile on your face, you might get a smile outta someone else. If I was stuck in an office all day, every day, just doing taxes or something, I don't think I'd be so smiley and happy. So an outdoor job absolutely gives me that smile every day."

Thank you to Charlotte for taking the time to talk with me. You can find Charlotte on Instagram at Public Rights of Way Explorer. Other resources are listed in our show notes.

Thank you for listening. You can find about that outdoor job on Instagram, our website, and a number of podcast listening platforms.

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This episode was produced and hosted by me, Charlaine Jannerfeldt.