Byways Open to All Traffic

[Frumpoon]

...essentially a road that crosses a field that motorbikes and 4x4's can legally use...….

Anybody have any experience of these?

 

[Abi90]

Yes there’s one here. And the motorbikes really do fly up and down it

 

[scruffyponies]

Yes - our local council keeps erecting barriers to stop the 4x4's, which then stops me driving a carriage down them. Grrrr.

 

[Tiddlypom]

What sort of experiences?

We’ve used them when out cycling before. The ones we’ve used have been semi metalled tracks. We haven’t encountered any problems.

A Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) is a highway over which the public have a right of way for vehicular and all other kinds of traffic but which is used by the public mainly for the purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are used (i.e. walking, cycling or horse riding).

 

[ihatework]

In what way?
I’ve got a byway near me (Fosse) which goes for miles and there are different restrictions on different parts of it. Some bits are restricted to exclude motorised vehicles other Bits are open to them.

On the open bits they get used lots on nice weekend days by quads/scramble bikes etc. The byway is also used by lots of people, including lots of hacking horses.

From a selfish point of view it’s annoying. But they have as much right to be on it as anyone else and in general they are very considerate around the horses.

 

[Frumpoon]

So I *think* I am referring to a BOTAT that crosses fields in which animals are grazing, by animals I mean potentially horses

Does this sound right or have I misunderstood something?

 

[ihatework]

So I *think* I am referring to a BOTAT that crosses fields in which animals are grazing, by animals I mean potentially horses

Does this sound right or have I misunderstood something?

I’m not sure what your question is, but I’d want my horses fenced off from the byway.

 

[MissTyc]

So I *think* I am referring to a BOTAT that crosses fields in which animals are grazing, by animals I mean potentially horses

Does this sound right or have I misunderstood something?

It's certainly possible. We have a few around here with cattle grids to keep livestock in.

 

[Frumpoon]

I think I'm confused about what it actually is

Is it like a footpath that crosses land on which random vehicles can drive?

 

[ihatework]

I think I'm confused about what it actually is

Is it like a footpath that crosses land on which random vehicles can drive?

Look on an OS map or I think the council has a department that will tell you. Then you will know what it is.

What is the actual reason/problem that has prompted the post though?

 

[Abi90]

I think I'm confused about what it actually is

Is it like a footpath that crosses land on which random vehicles can drive?

It will normally be a track that people can use. It will often be on an ancient highway like an old roman road or old packhorse route or something. Or a drovers lane. The track still exists but it’s not an official public highway

 

[sport horse]

In England & Wales, a byway open to all traffic (BOAT) is a highway over which the public have a right of way for vehicular and all other kinds of traffic but which is used by the public mainly for the purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are used (i.e. walking, cycling or horse riding )

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is the Ordnance Survey map legend in case you want to check on a map as to what type of public right of way a particular track is. The BOATs are designated by a sort of + sign.

 

[sjb10]

Also, your local county council or unitary authority should have a Definitive Map Map team with a record of all these routes and any current restrictions. Eg to prohibit motorised vehicles in winter. There should be a map on their website you can use to check the route and status (footpath, bridleway, etc) and possibly also a page with seasonal closures and other restrictions.

 

[Blazingsaddles]

...essentially a road that crosses a field that motorbikes and 4x4's can legally use...….

Anybody have any experience of these?

Yes. The motorbikes are a PITA, specifically the dirt bikes. Thankfully, we have a temporary TPO between the months of November till the end of March. A lot of councils are applying these orders to ancient byways due to the damage caused by 4x4s & motorbikes during the winter months, rendering them extremely difficult to navigate on horseback, cycling or on foot. Contact your PC and complain.

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes there’s loads round here they are basically old roads that never got tarmac on them .
You can used them like a road but often they go through open fields with stock in them.

 

[Frumpoon]

Many many thanks everybody

The penny has dropped, I think lockdown and working from home has shrunk my brain

I checked out a google image search and for the most part they run alongside boundary edges and fencing? For some bizarre reason I imagined they went through the middle of fields like footpaths do....

 

[PeterNatt]

There are several types of Byways:
Restricted Byways which can only be used by Walkers cyclists, horse riders and carriage drivers.
Byway with a Permanent Traffic Restriction Order (PTRO) This restricts the vehicles that may use it for instance Motorised Vehicles and/or Horse Drawn Carriages.
Byways Open To All Traffic which means all motorised vehicles can use it but they must be taxed, insured, have a current MOT and be driven safely.
If you check the Definitive Map for your area it will also show the status of the Byway concerned.

 

[little_critter]

Many many thanks everybody

The penny has dropped, I think lockdown and working from home has shrunk my brain

I checked out a google image search and for the most part they run alongside boundary edges and fencing? For some bizarre reason I imagined they went through the middle of fields like footpaths do....

I don’t think there’s anything that specifies where they run, they will just follow the line of whatever historically created them (eg drovers road, old track etc). I guess they often run along the edge of a field but there’s nothing to say that’s where they must run.