Regulations on Bridleways....

[Gerry Attrick]

There there Cubist. Have a nice cup of tea and a lie down

 

[Crackle]

There there Cubist. Have a nice cup of tea and a lie down

Yeah think Janet Street Porter and calm thoughts

 

[Cubist]

Thanks for the link to the Ramblers Association. I rang the number on the contact page, but the bloke who answered just when on and on and on...

 

[very-near]

Yeah think Janet Street Porter and calm thoughts

I got banned from the Ramblers forum when I suggested that their campaign which brought the NERC bill into force was more than a little bit vexatious.

Bobble hats and O/S maps a minimum requirement

 

[C Fairfowl]

I have almost given up on using - so called "public bridle ways", so many of them are blocked by fences, styles, locked gates etc. I have checked the OS map and GPS to ensure they are official bridle ways and they are clearly marked as bridle ways.

What are you allowed to do? I have lifted my bike over one fence only to discover yet another fence further on :-(

 

[Jody]

Fences and styles are all part of riding off road

I believe you can report instances of blocked bridleways but have never done it myself

 

[Alex321]

I have almost given up on using - so called "public bridle ways", so many of them are blocked by fences, styles, locked gates etc. I have checked the OS map and GPS to ensure they are official bridle ways and they are clearly marked as bridle ways.

What are you allowed to do? I have lifted my bike over one fence only to discover yet another fence further on :-(

Report them to your local council, preferably with exact location and photos.

It is illegal to block a bridleway, and the council should take action to get the blockage removed (and possibly prosecute those responsible).

 

[fossyant]

Bunny hop it !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Bunny hop it !

Build a ramp either side…

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What are you allowed to do?

Assuming you are absolutely sure you are on the bridleway you are able to proceed past any obstruction. Some have been known to take wire cutters where the obstruction is a wire fence.

 

[cougie uk]

Thanks for the link to the Ramblers Association. I rang the number on the contact page, but the bloke who answered just when on and on and on...

Shameful that this only got one like in 14 years.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Changed this as I realised I was replying to a post from 2009!

Unless they have had a specific TRO against bicycles imposed on them for some reason, you are perfectly entitled to use a bridleway. You should 'give way' to pedestrians and horseriders.

HOWEVER beware that it is not a 'permissive' bridleway. This is NOT the same as a public bridleway, and cycling may well be barred.

The Ramblers Association is a dead loss when it comes to bridleway use - they usually oppose any applications for upgrading from a footpath, and support applications for downgrading. The British Horse Society and various cycling organisations try to work together on off-road access, for fairly obvious reasons.

Signs stating or even implying that access is prohibited, when it's a PROW, are actually illegal. If a sign says something like 'private no access' on a driveway to a farm, which is part of a public footpath or bridleway, that is illegal. It should say 'private no access - footpath only' or 'private no access - bridleway only'.
ETA - your council or local authority will usually have a copy of the definitive map on line; you may want to check when it was last updated, though.

 

[Jody]

The British Horse Society and various cycling organisations try to work together on off-road access, for fairly obvious reasons.

Grouping together is working well around here. The local horse and cycling groups have more weight and pull in the same direction.

It's also done a lot for cohesion and understanding between the groups.

 

[ColinJ]

Unless they have had a specific TRO against bicycles imposed on them for some reason, you are perfectly entitled to use a bridleway. You should 'give way' to pedestrians and horseriders.

But don't forget the regulation permitting dog owners to feed cyclists to their hounds...!

I was riding along a bridleway on my mountain bike when I saw a rambler walking towards me with his 2 Jack Russells running free. Given that virtually every Jack Russell I have ever encountered off the lead has tried to nip me, I anticipated problems ...

CJ: Please, would you hold on to your dogs while I ride by?

Man: No - I have a right to walk my dogs and you have no right to be here!

CJ: Actually, this is a public bridleway and I am allowed here, so please restrain your dogs while I pass you, I wouldn't like them to get hurt.

Man: You have no right to be on a bike on a bridleway, and don't you threaten my dogs!

CJ: Bridleways are rights of way for walkers, equestrians and cyclists and you are clearly ignorant of the law. I am not threatening you or your dogs, I am simply pointing out that I weigh over 15 stone and a big man on a chunky-tyred mountain bike would make a nasty mess of a small dog if there was a collision. I am asking you nicely to hold your dogs for 10 seconds while I ride past - THANK YOU!

Man: I'll do no such thing. You can turn round and go back the way you came!

CJ: Life is too short for this nonsense. Sorry, but I will not be doing a 5 mile detour because of an ignoramus like you. I'll try to avoid your dogs, but if they get hurt it will be due to your stupidity!

I carried on riding and as expected, the dogs ran forward yapping and trying to nip my ankles. One ran straight under my front wheel and almost got crushed. Only emergency braking saved it's neck. And then the other dog sneaked round and bit me! It put a hole through my overshoe but it didn't puncture my skin.

At that point, I started to lose my cool and told the man to leash his dogs immediately or I'd kick the next one to come near me. He just stood there wittering on about how he knew his rights, don't touch his dogs, he'd have the law on me ...

I shook my head, called him an idiot and rode off with the yapping dogs in hot pursuit.

 

[Bobario]

I have almost given up on using - so called "public bridle ways", so many of them are blocked by fences, styles, locked gates etc. I have checked the OS map and GPS to ensure they are official bridle ways and they are clearly marked as bridle ways.

What are you allowed to do? I have lifted my bike over one fence only to discover yet another fence further on :-(

There shouldn't be any styles on a bridleway unless also accompanied by a gate. I just lift my bike over any locked gates and carry on my merry way.