Clarifying a bridleway.

homers_double

Last night I was told by a horsey type that the bridleway I was riding up wasn't open to cyclists and apparently a new gate /style is to be built to hinder access.

Now I've always thought that bridleways WERE open to us lot but how can I get info on a particular route?

It starts here 53.652599,-2.113184 (just C&P that in to google maps) and runs for about 500 yards until it reaches a true bridleway called "The Mary Townley Loop.

Is there anywhere which list specific routes?

joec1

ignore then... dam people.....

its motorbikes they arent open to

homers_double

I did, sort of. I just said "when they build the style please ask them to make it wide enough for bikes"

It just pi55sed me off a bit really.

nicklouse

A public bridleway is a way over which the public have the following, but no other, rights:

* to travel on foot and
* to travel on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals of any description along the way.

Note that although Section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 permits the riding of bicycles on public bridleways, the act says that it "shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists".

Public Bridleways are shown as long green dashes on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, or long pink dashes on 1:50,000 maps.

In addition, permissive bridleways are shown as dashed orange lines on the 1:25,000 maps where there is no statutory right of way but where the landowner permits use, for the time being, as a bridleway.

A public bridleway is sometimes waymarked using a blue arrow on a metal or plastic disc or by blue paint dots on posts and trees.

not that you should ever quote a Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rights_of_ ... Bridleways

joec1

yup, by facilitate, its suggesting that styles and gates etc do not need ot be adapted to suit ccylints, (which lets face it.... they arent often)

the only exception is where both ends of the bridleway specifically state that it is not open to cycle traffic.

stumpyjon

Checking that on my OS 1:25 it looks pretty bridleway like to me. As for the gates, if you can get a horse through it's not going to be very difficult to get a bike through.

Think you just got a dumb rider to be honest, my suggestion politely ignore.

Tank-slapper

stumpyjon wrote:

Checking that on my OS 1:25 it looks pretty bridleway like to me.

Ditto. Perfectly legal for cyclists. Your equestrian friend was mistaken.

Were the gates 2 wooden railway sleepers set into the ground about 1m apart so that horses can step over them and bikes can be lifted over them, but motorbikes can't?

tenchi

The true status of a route is sometimes not accurately signposted. There are many dual status routes that are signpsted as footpath that do indeed have higher rights. For cyclists to be excluded on a bridleway, as was said in a previous post it must have an official sign. Not the home made type you often see that people have put up :x Its a real shame there is not a bit more tolerance between all users that use these public rights of way.

Briggo

If you come across the rider again kick the horse in the nuts, that'll learn the rider.

sparrowlegs78

Briggo wrote:

If you come across the rider again kick the horse in the nuts, that'll learn the rider.

You'd have to go back in time to kck my horse in the nuts
Caz xx

bails87

sparrowlegs78 wrote:

Briggo wrote:

If you come across the rider again kick the horse in the nuts, that'll learn the rider.

You'd have to go back in time to kck my horse in the nuts
Caz xx

I reckon the horse would still be pretty angry. Having just about forgiven you for the 'snip', it's out for a nice ride, and finds a stranger kicking it's nuts about in a field :P

But to the OP, you're allowed to ride there, don't worry about it.

pemsey

Just to point out that whilst we all check OS maps for rights of way the only way to find out for certain the status of any ROW is to check the definitive map held by the local council ROW department - you'll even find this disclaimer on OS maps as (fairly oviously) the map is out of date the moment it's printed.

So in all probability the OP's "bridleway" is just that,(and the horse rider needs to stand up coz' they're sounding muffled )but the only way of finding out for certain the status of it is to check with the ROW department.

Cheers
P.

stumpyjon

pemsey all very true, but 99% of time the other prick who's arguing with you won't even understand rights of way yet alone the finer points like definitive maps. As long as the OS isn't too out of date (I'm talking years or decades) it's best thing there is to check outt he rights of way.

JamesBrckmn

But if it's been made a footpath, mr horsey isn't allowed there either :?

deadsetgav

I've ridden that path loads of times before and the people in the farm next to the track have never been anything less than friendly... the've never told me I shouldn't be there. Where the horse folk just passing through or locals?

homers_double

I've also ridden there for years, I've liven up Shore since I was 18 months old and barr a 5 year stint in shawclough, lived there ever since.

I've been riding bikes up there for the past 20 years and have never had anything mentioned to me, however one snotty cow stuck her nose out of the barn at the side and started spouting. So yeah, locals or renting a stable.

deadsetgav

Bugger - Its a handy little shortcut that. I take it you are gonna keep using it?

They did once stopped ma and asked me if I was the guy who goes up there at night with a light on my head.... (I'm not)

stubs

Perhaps we should organise a mass trespass style bike ride there all the riders who post on here who live in the North west should turn up one day and ride that bridleway. That would put the snotty cows nose out of joint

homers_double

deadsetgav wrote:

Bugger - Its a handy little shortcut that. I take it you are gonna keep using it?

They did once stopped ma and asked me if I was the guy who goes up there at night with a light on my head.... (I'm not)

No doubt mate, and yes the guy with the light on his head may well be either me or my mate. I think they would have had a go about not putting the string back on the gate (its never on anyway) as it scares one of the horses when it bangs in the wind (got told that by the snotty cow as well).

stubs wrote:

Perhaps we should organise a mass trespass style bike ride there all the riders who post on here who live in the North west should turn up one day and ride that bridleway. That would put the snotty cows nose out of joint

I'll provide burnt cow on the BBQ afterwards, you can bring your own beer.

deadsetgav

So its basically gonna take the business end of a shotgun to change our minds then?

They have small yappy dogs there sometimes as well - one tried to hump my front wheel.

homers_double

Yeah, i tried to hump it with my front wheel but the liitle sod was too fast.