Green Lanes in SE England + Scotland
 

Hey!

Just wondering if anybody could tell me about green lanes in SE England - where exactly can we ride? Or how can I find out?

Also planning to take my bike up to Scotland around April time - can anybody advise places to visit - would like to ride some nice routes (and a little off-road/off the beaten track)

Cheers!

Ali.

Hi Ali,
The simplest thing to do is to get an Ordnance Survey map of the area where you want to ride. The maps you want are the Landranger series. Then look for byways. These are indicated by a string of red ++++++ symbols.
Another good way to find lanes is to join the TRF. You should find plenty of interesting lanes in Sussex.

Richard

Contact the Trail Rides fellowship at
www.trf.org.uk
HTH,
ChrisB

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TheBrightStuffDotCom

Hi Ali
I hope you dont do any greenlaning. I have seen the horrific effects of this in France, where ancient tracks and ways have been utterly destroyed by bikes. The erosion is appalling. I have seen pics of the same damage in England- and as far as I know you are not allowed to damage paths in Scotland.
Please dont do it.

Sorry Dennis you Townie, but I have to disagree. (lighthearted comment before anyone gets upset)
True Greenlaners do not damage lanes, "mudpluggers" do.
A legal byway, greenlane, is a road that has not been surfaced. It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that it is passable by motorised vehicles and all other road users for that matter. I was one of the founder members of a group called FoDRoW (Friends of Dorset's Rights of Ways). We joined with the local council as a groups of volunteers to open up and repair greenlanes that had been neglected for many years, you can read more at www.fodrow.com. We have filled in muddy holes with many tons of hardcore to improve the condition of many of these lanes. Unfortunately I have seen the damage caused by the mudpluggers to these lanes and realised that whatever you try to achieve for the benefit of others there is always someone out there trying to spoil it.
Anyone that wants to wallow in mud should go to a pay and play site and leave the greenlanes to the people who want to use them as legitimate access to the countryside. I have to admit I hardly ever drive greenlanes now, I save my off roading for somebody elses back yard in Tunisia.
I should add I'm a 4 wheeled traveller.

Hear hear Kevin! Those that have the attitude displayed by Denis are sadly mis-informed and almost always don't know what they're talking about.If you want an opinion on matters relating to the countryside and rights of way,ask someone who has lived in same said countryside all their life.Quite often the rights of way are actually kept open by enthusiastic,responsible groups(like TRF) and local users without whom they would become quickly overgrown and neglected and un-useable by anyone.As for finding out where to ride in different parts of the country,as has been sugested above contact the TRF and find someone in the locality where you want to go to.They are best to advise you of the legal and passable trails,and quite often will be more than keen to join you for a day out(any excuse!).The red +++++++ routes on OS maps are a good way to start with but they don't include all of the usable trails as these can only be found by going to the relevant council and refering to their definitive maps(something TRF groups do as a matter of course).Also they are not always passable in all weather.

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Just going for a short ride on my bike....

The governments own advisory paper stated that the impact of recreational off roading on greenlanes was negligable. The vast majority of 'damage' is caused by agricultural use or normal errosion. If you want to see damage due to overuse look at some of the more popular footpaths, such as helvellyn ('scuse the spellin') or snowdon. No rambler has any right to accuse 4x4s or bikes about erosion and damage. Also, as has been said, the clubs that support these activities frequently maintain these routes in their own time and at their own expense, don't see the ramblers doing that, so, get your facts right before you start preaching!

with regard to BOATs and RUPPs just because they are on the map doesn't mean that they have vehicular rights as these may have changed since the map was printed, or, in the case of RUPPs may never have existed. You could check with the rights of way officer at the council, which is time consuming and they may or may not be very helpful, or speak to a helpful member of one of the local clubs, bike and car, they may even invite you along for a tour! You may also discover additional routes through unclassified county roads not immediately apparent on any map. In Scotland the situation is much more complex and frankly I would just avoid it. There are, I believe, only two routes that have vehicular rights of way and both are under strong dispute.
And before you ask, I don't go greenlaning because I don't have the time, I'm too busy working to save money for my trips!! I do though object to people passing opinion on something they know nothing about, and bear in mind, today green lanes, tomorrow the desert, there is already pressure from biggots to stop people driving in the last wildernesses available.
Andy
landrover 101FC ambie
TLC H60
morris minor traveller
Hi Ali
I hope you dont do any greenlaning. I have seen the horrific effects of this in France, where ancient tracks and ways have been utterly destroyed by bikes. The erosion is appalling. I have seen pics of the same damage in England- and as far as I know you are not allowed to damage paths in Scotland.
Please dont do it.[/QUOTE]

[This message has been edited by moggy 1968 (edited 23 January 2006).]

[This message has been edited by moggy 1968 (edited 23 January 2006).]

Kevin

Is FODROW mainly for 4wd owners or are there any 2 wheelers involved. Coming from Poole I am very interested.

My partner and I have covered every single paved road in this beautiful dorset but would love to venture onto some greenlanes. We haven't done so to date as we have no idea which roads we are or aren't allowed to use.

Despite the vast potential for off-road riding in scotland (loads of land-rover and stalkers tracks in some really beautiful spots with well maintained hard surfaces) it would appear to be effectively illegal everywhere unless you are a toff with a Range Rover and the land owner is an old school chum. Aforementioned bigotry towards motorised recreationers means the situation is unlikely to change.
Matt

Wiltshire has the highest concentration of legally drivable green lanes in UK, dorset isn't far behind. The ridgeway is a good example of different user groups working to find a mutually acceptable solution to access problems. Also IMHO dorset and wiltshire are the most beautiful counties in England.(I was going to say Britain but I wouldn't like to cause any cross border problems!)

Andy

[This message has been edited by moggy 1968 (edited 23 January 2006).]

[This message has been edited by moggy 1968 (edited 23 January 2006).]

Quite alright Moggy, as we don't have counties up here, claim away!
Matt

Moggy,
The FoDRoW name was partly chosen as it does not exclude anyone. As far as I know there are no bikers currently involved however they would be more than welcome. We actually helped the British Horse Society and PDC to clear a bridalway as well as clearing one ourselves, when it was too wet for our planned clearance.

Hi Kevin, thanks for the info, although I am also a 4x4 guy, not a 2 wheeler. Sadly these days I don't get the chance to green lane much due to other time commitments. I also abhorr the mudplugger approach, I go greenlaning for the solitude and the scenery. As I usually go alone I have to make sure the routes are easilly traversable (i.e. in good nick) so the effect of my passing is pretty negligable, and I would like to see it stay that way. I like the system the americans have of properly graded and maintained off road routes so that you can easily find what you are looking for at an appropriate standard. I would like to see a lot more 'scenic' routes, such as forestry tracks, opened up for recreational use, but the stupid minority unfortunately means that this will never happen and that routes will get less and less.

Andy

TLC H60
Landy 101 Ambie
1968 Morris minor traveller

Hi Kevin and John

No, I dont take offence at your comments - far from it, it's good to see a bit of humorous, robust comment. And if you knew anything of my life, you would be ashamed to say that I'm "a Townie." You silly boy. Please dont use such daft divisive language; that's for Sun readers. John - because you live in the countryside does not make your view any more worthwhile or useful. One of you says that I am misinformed - the opposite is true; I am very well informed indeed. Furthermore, my comments are founded on logic and fact, not on prejudice and lack of knowledge. There's much more evidence I could offer to make even you see reason, but I fear you're not up to it. Sorry chaps!
Even then enjoy your tarmac travels - new environmental protection laws in the UK will ensure that you you wont be damaging the countryside much longer!
Good roads, lads!
xxxxDenis

I could show you lots of damage done by walkers and horse riders, perhaps we should ban that too! In Germany changes by the enviromentalists meant that on army training areas once grass started growing on a track you couldn't use it anymore, so now they have to overuse the areas to ensure they can continue to get access. Recreational off road users don't want anything unreasonable, just access to the less than 5% of unsurfaced rights of way that have vehicular rights, ramblers want the right to just roam anywhere they fancy, incuding on military training areas, which are such a haven for wildlife because the public isn't allowed on them, despite having the odd tank rumbling across them (which I believe is more damaging than a land rover) or the odd artillery shell going off.

Be assured that even if you don't go off road attitudes like some of the ones above will impact on you, if you on this site you participate ina minroity activity and that means you are under threat. Think this sounds paranoid? look at the anti 4x4 movement (which will spread to bikes I am sure. You can't explore some of the areas we go to without an off road capability, but as vehicles are dumbed down by legislation to make them more suitable for doing the school run they become less suitable for us. I am sure hunting hound packs thought they were safe 10 years ago, and they have a lot more influence in high places than we do.

And your right, it doesn't make any differnce if your townie or country, if you talk biggoted crap you still talk biggoted crap!!

Andy
Landy 101 ambie/camper
TLC H60 x2!
1968 morris minor traveller