A locked gate

Sometimes when I am out on my walks I see things that make me mad. Today this locked gate made me mad.

Since when has this field had a gate, let alone a locked gate?

We call this walk 'the seven fields walk' because the path goes through seven fields. We walk here loads and so do lots of other people.

Has this field suddenly become private property? Are we not allowed here any more? Surely a gate cannot be put up and locked on a public footpath? I will have to do some investigating to find out what it's all about.

OK rant over!

And just in case anybody's interested - we climbed over the gate and continued on our walk?!