Stupid question - There is an apple tree in a garden along my dog walking route, and quite a few apples have fallen onto the public footpath (ie not in the garden) - can I gather them legally? Or should I ask the home owners' permission?
You're free to collect windfalls if they've landed in your garden but I'm not sure if it's the same on public land. Having said that, I doubt anyone would complain were you to collect them. Were you to ask the owner you may well get an invite to go pick them direct from the tree
I believe you are welcome to forage for them for non commercial consumption. Edit: found this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11584156 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Think this link has it http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/the-law-on-trees-153989.pdf I know it's referring to gardens but it says "If the fruit falls off, it is legally regarded as abandoned, so you may keep it."
As the tree is not grown wild, the laws regarding flora and fauna do not apply. The tree is the property of another. That being said, anything that falls onto public land and would otherwise rot could be picked up without a serious challenge. After all, you would be providing a public service by preventing the spples from rotting down snd causing a slip hazard. In relation to personal and commercial use, these topics only realy rear their heads in Police Sgts exams. Common sense and the public interest generally prevail.
You're legally ok to pick them up (for reasons others mentioned above) but I'd ask the owner anyway, just because it's good manners. Unless I couldn't easily work out who the owner was.
