We and the majority of other dog owners in the village have used the same field to walk the dogs for at least the last 20 years with no problems. Recently the owner rebuilt fencing and put barbed wire around the stile and gates-obviously does not want it used by us!!! My question is does anyone know if we have any rights to use the land as it has been used for such a long time?

would suggest you ring your local boro/district council tomorrow, they should have a 'rights of way officer' you can talk to and they will speak to the land owner, they can take enforcement action if needed.
Chris

For our living we run a small  marina with some fields and ancient woodlands attached and we are happy for locals to walk their dogs in the woods providing they don't abuse our goodwill. It is not a public right for them to do so and were our goodwill to me mistaken as granting them rights to roam freely within our land then we would be re forced to rethink our generosity.  200 clients pay rent for the use of this land and while the public and our clients can coexist peacefully this situation is fine..but were the situation to change then the public can then go and use the many rights of way in the surrounding area and the stretch public pathway that passes through our land.  Sorry just giving some insight from a company landholding perspective. Land is a pleasure for the walker but a livelihood to the landowner.

At the moment there is a battle with the right to roam group to take some of our land to create a new public right of way. imo as a dog walker  the request is reasonable. Interestingly these with an interest in our company include two dog walkers and we are each for the path, the other 6 are cat people and they are strongly against it. However if the public do their research there are old OS maps to suggest there was once a recognised  path in that area ( be it a private path ) but that will be enough evidence to help their case.  So you should do some research..look at old maps, get copies and see if there is a path. If not I really think you have been blessed with generosity by this land owner but if there is a recognised path then  take them to the council.  and contact the right to roam campaigners I am sure they will be more than willing to go cut the wire.

Also my local farmer had goodwill blessing on us public dog walkers and we are free to use his fields  but he keeps cows in them and he re-fenced his field including barbed wire around the styles..this is to keep the cows in. Several were getting out and plodding around the estate, so the new fencing and wire was to protect the public and not to stop us going in his fields...it just makes the climb over the style a little more tricky but not as tricky as dealing the odd cow or bull or two in a school playground or back garden.   So check with the farmer because the wire could be innocent and more to do with farming than blocking footpaths..