I HAVE never written to a newspaper before but I am so annoyed and dismayed that I feel I have to. We too are affected by Devon County Council?s proposal for a Public Path Creation Order on the route of the former railway from Thorndon Cross to Halwill Junction. My wife and I rent a part of the land for keeping horses. There is nothing left of the original track as it has been ploughed, grassed, fenced and gated. We rely on this pasture for our horses as there is nowhere for us to graze them close to home. My wife has heart problems and does not drive, so they have to be kept close by. We were hoping the horses, which are very old would be able to see out their days living here. We understand the need for safe riding but the common sense approach would be to improve and maintain the bridleways that already exist around the area, not create another at considerable cost. There are plenty of quiet places to ride. Has anybody considered the effect on wildlife? Does anybody care? The other parts of the track, which we rent and manage as a small nature conservation area, boast an impressive list of birds and animals. Over the past years we have recorded summer visiting breeding birds, including pied flycatchers, spotted flycatchers, a blackcap and garden warbler. Barn owl and hobby often hunt, and the hedges are alive with common birds. There are grass-snakes, adders and lizards. More significantly, dormice use the many nesting boxes we have put up for hibernation. All of these would be lost. Sorry to have rambled on but we feel that yet another part of our lovely county will be lost. Keith and Anne Farnell Somerstown Halwill