"Right to roam" in England and Wales is limited to those areas dedicated as "Access Land" under the CRoW Act 2000. This land is shown on the O/S 1/25000 Explorer maps by a yellow-orange wash with an orange border. It isn't shown on the 1/50000 Landranger maps. There is certainly no "general" right to roam, so I'm not surprised some farmers are getting hacked off if that's what some walkers think.

Access Land can be temporarily closed (although it has to be signed to make this clear), e.g. for forestry works or particular breeding seasons, etc.

Existing "definitive" public rights of way - footpaths, bridleways and byways - are not part of the CRoW provisions, but continue unaffected. It is illegal to obstruct a right of way.

Needless to say, Scotland is far more enlightened.

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/advice-for-walkers/your-access-rights/what-is-the-right-to-roam.aspx

no responsible farmer would allow this to happen on a right of way unless they were using them in lieu of a shotgun and "Gerroff my land" attitude.
There seems to be some confusion in the article about rights of way and the 'right to roam' - the latter was for open countryside and excluded cultivated land and garden.[/quote]

There is a "Lady" farmer on Dartmoor who used to regularly put a bull in one of her fields which had a footpath running through. We were excavating a Tinners Hut in the Walkham Valley and had an open weekend every year on the last week of the dig. There would be guided walks and a talk to anyone who came and the route to the dig was through one of her fields , which also had remains of Tinners working in it. Oddly enough that weekend a huge bull was always to be found in the field. One weekend I was arriving early to help get things organized and I saw her bringing the bull up the road and put it in the field. She also removed all the stiles from the dry stone walling to stop access but has since been made to put them back.