RP Horse Paths

Walls82

To make my commutes more interesting for the last 3 weeks I've been using my cx bike and going on the horse path cutting across from pen ponds to robin hood gate then across Wimbledon common.

Today I I came across a couple of horses, I pulled over and stopped said good morning to the riders all very pleasant, but a cyclist on the road saw that I stopped and shouted that I shouldn't be on there. There isn't a no cycling sign like there are on some other paths around the park and I couldn't find anything online, so is it correct cyclists aren't allowed on them?

rhodrich

You're not allowed to cycle on them. See here: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... t_2008.pdf

Please consider wildlife by keeping to designated cycle paths, particularly in Bushy Park and Richmond Park
(National Nature Reserve). Off-track cycling is not allowed in the Parks.

You're limited to the roads, or dedicated cycle paths.

tgotb

Rhodrich wrote:

You're not allowed to cycle on them. See here: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... t_2008.pdf

Please consider wildlife by keeping to designated cycle paths, particularly in Bushy Park and Richmond Park
(National Nature Reserve). Off-track cycling is not allowed in the Parks.

You're limited to the roads, or dedicated cycle paths.

Not quite. There's a detailed explanation on this month's newsletter, on the notice boards by all the gates. Turns out you can ride anywhere you like, so long as you're 10 or younger. I'm toying with sending tgotb out on her CX bike to put it to the test...

hopkinb

I got a bollocking off a park ranger in the summer. Being old, I was having a bit of a sit down overlooking pen ponds - I had wheeled my bike there and it was leaning up against a tree, while I had a bite to eat and something to drink. Officious type pulls up in some kind of buggy and lets rip about riding on non-designated paths. Wouldn't listen when I said politely I had walked my bike there, and would walk it back to the road. Carried on shouting. I told them to fark off in the end, which they did, but in high dudgeon.

Walls82

Shame its always nice and peaceful on there, might be a bit much to get a horse to commute on!

kingstongraham

Walls82 wrote:

Shame its always nice and peaceful on there, might be a bit much to get a horse to commute on!

It is a shame, but I can imagine what a hellhole it would be if people could cycle everywhere in the park.

Walls82

Yes of course I Imagine they would get trashed at the weekend!

roger_merriman

Walls82 wrote:

Yes of course I Imagine they would get trashed at the weekend!

not sure it would to be honest, remember bikes + riders are far lighter than horse + rider.

if one rides down bridleways used by horses often how far the hooves have penetrated the ground and churned up is quite clear, thats not to say bikes don't make a mess of the ground but it's nothing like the same extent, Tasmin Trail for example stays in good shape.

the issue is sharing space, Richmond Park people have a tendency not to so much.

kingstongraham

roger merriman wrote:

Walls82 wrote:

Yes of course I Imagine they would get trashed at the weekend!

not sure it would to be honest, remember bikes + riders are far lighter than horse + rider.

if one rides down bridleways used by horses often how far the hooves have penetrated the ground and churned up is quite clear, thats not to say bikes don't make a mess of the ground but it's nothing like the same extent, Tasmin Trail for example stays in good shape.

the issue is sharing space, Richmond Park people have a tendency not to so much.

That's because the Tamsin Trail is surfaced.

Got no real opinion on riding on the horse rides, other than bikes have plenty of space in the park without interfering with that space.

The number of MTBs there would be everywhere if there were no restrictions would make the place unpleasant for anyone walking regardless of the churning up of the ground.

roger_merriman

KingstonGraham wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

Walls82 wrote:

Yes of course I Imagine they would get trashed at the weekend!

not sure it would to be honest, remember bikes + riders are far lighter than horse + rider.

if one rides down bridleways used by horses often how far the hooves have penetrated the ground and churned up is quite clear, thats not to say bikes don't make a mess of the ground but it's nothing like the same extent, Tasmin Trail for example stays in good shape.

the issue is sharing space, Richmond Park people have a tendency not to so much.

That's because the Tamsin Trail is surfaced.

Got no real opinion on riding on the horse rides, other than bikes have plenty of space in the park without interfering with that space.

The number of MTBs there would be everywhere if there were no restrictions would make the place unpleasant for anyone walking regardless of the churning up of the ground.

The Tamsin trail is surfaced but it's probably less resistant to wear than the horse trails. RP even if it was free to all is hardly MTB mecha, even on a CX it's very tame most if not all could be ridden on 23mm let alone 60mm+ stuff on modern MTB's

There is a huge population surrounding the park, and you'd get more folks wandering on the bikes, but doesn't need to be so us and them, across the river in Bushy Park you see plenty of wandering bikes off the bike paths with little hassle.

The Rookie

Rhodrich wrote:

You're not allowed to cycle on them. See here: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... t_2008.pdf

Please consider wildlife by keeping to designated cycle paths, particularly in Bushy Park and Richmond Park
(National Nature Reserve). Off-track cycling is not allowed in the Parks.

You're limited to the roads, or dedicated cycle paths.

I'd disagree......there is no must in the first sentence you are asked to do it out of consideration, the horse track is a track so cycling on it is clearly not off track....

I cant find a copy of the byelaws right now which is obviously the definitive answer.

kingstongraham

The Rookie wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

You're not allowed to cycle on them. See here: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... t_2008.pdf

Please consider wildlife by keeping to designated cycle paths, particularly in Bushy Park and Richmond Park
(National Nature Reserve). Off-track cycling is not allowed in the Parks.

You're limited to the roads, or dedicated cycle paths.

I'd disagree......there is no must in the first sentence you are asked to do it out of consideration, the horse track is a track so cycling on it is clearly not off track....

I cant find a copy of the byelaws right now which is obviously the definitive answer.

https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... idated.pdf

Acts prohibited in a Park:

unless he is a child of 10 years of age or under, use—
(a) any pedal cycle, or
(b) any roller skate, roller blade, skate board or other foot-propelled device
except on a Park road or in an area designated and marked as being for that purpose by the Secretary of State;

asprilla

KingstonGraham wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

You're not allowed to cycle on them. See here: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... t_2008.pdf

Please consider wildlife by keeping to designated cycle paths, particularly in Bushy Park and Richmond Park
(National Nature Reserve). Off-track cycling is not allowed in the Parks.

You're limited to the roads, or dedicated cycle paths.

I'd disagree......there is no must in the first sentence you are asked to do it out of consideration, the horse track is a track so cycling on it is clearly not off track....

I cant find a copy of the byelaws right now which is obviously the definitive answer.

https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/as ... idated.pdf

Acts prohibited in a Park:

unless he is a child of 10 years of age or under, use—
(a) any pedal cycle, or
(b) any roller skate, roller blade, skate board or other foot-propelled device
except on a Park road or in an area designated and marked as being for that purpose by the Secretary of State;

Ok, so my daughters can't use it, regardless of age. Also, I don't recall seeing the Secretary of State wandering the park with a paint brush in hand.

gabriel959

Are byelaws enforceable at all anyway? We have some in our estate, like cars not parked on the main road, but these are never enforced and when brought up at a resident's meeting we were told that these are not enforceable at all.

Walls82

Its obviously not very clear - in this case there is a wide road (it has car/buggy tyre tracks in the sand/gravel), there isn't a no cycling sign on it at either end and its right next to a path used by cyclists. I didn't know it was a horse path until I googled it!

I'm sure If I hadn't come across shouty cyclist I would never have found out, maybe I can get a letter from this sign writing secretary of state giving me special permission on weekdays!

The Rookie

gabriel959 wrote:

Are byelaws enforceable at all anyway? We have some in our estate, like cars not parked on the main road, but these are never enforced and when brought up at a resident's meeting we were told that these are not enforceable at all.

Byelaws are very enforceable yes, same as any other law. But someone does need to actually do it.

Without knowing the details its hard to call in your situation, what sort of an estate has byelaws? It would be very unusual.

kingstongraham

Asprilla wrote:

Ok, so my daughters can't use it, regardless of age. Also, I don't recall seeing the Secretary of State wandering the park with a paint brush in hand.

She only comes out at night.

figbat

Asprilla wrote:

Ok, so my daughters can't use it, regardless of age.

Interpretation Act 1978, section 6:

Gender and number.

In any Act, unless the contrary intention appears,—
(a)words importing the masculine gender include the feminine;
(b)words importing the feminine gender include the masculine;
(c)words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular.

mrfpb

KingstonGraham wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Ok, so my daughters can't use it, regardless of age. Also, I don't recall seeing the Secretary of State wandering the park with a paint brush in hand.

She only comes out at night.

Is she the lean and hungry type?