Country Park - Bridlepaths

[Twiglet]

My local off road hacking is a country park, managed by the council. It has well maintained and signposted bridlepaths, running around the outside of approximately half the park.
However, there is no 'loop' as such, and doing a full ride either full ride either involves retracing steps or going out on a road.

However, there are paths that may be suitable for conversion to bridleways which would build a circuit. There are a reasonable number of livery yards and a riding school in the near vicinity which use the park, and the roads are well known for being fast and rather dangerous lanes.

We have contacted the rangers who have asked us to write to them with the suggested routes.

Has anyone had any success with this sort of thing? I'm thinking of contacting the local BHS representative and Bridleway organisation for support. Any other ideas?

The park is the venue for the 2012 Olympic cycling event, so we're going to use that as ammo too!!

 

[Accy]

Why not try getting the local papers involved and motorist groups.
(Motorist groupls as they like less horses on the roads)

Worth a go anyway

 

[Happytohack]

Are you referring to South Weald and Thorndon Country Parks by any chance? Just a guess - but I used to ride there 25 years or so ago (gulp) and we used to buy an annual permit for both parks for £5.00(!) If you talking about a different park, which one is it as historically if permits were once in place, you might have more of a case. We have farm estates here in Suffolk where we can ride for £40.00 per year.

 

[OWLIE185]

I would suggest that you firstly contact your British Horse Society access officer for the area. If you let me know the name and where the park is I would be happy to provide you with their contact details.

Are the tracks you are riding on at present Bridleways and on the definitive map as such or just riding tracks provided by the park?

 

[Twiglet]

Yes, it's South Weald country park. There's no charge for riding there luckily.....I'm stabled right next door so hack there twice a week. No charge for Thorndon either!

It's quite confusing because as far as we know the paths are definitely bridle paths - marked clearly in the park. BUt they don't appear on the ordnance survey map which is a bit worrying. I've contacted Essex Bridleways Association with regards to whether this is something we need to bring up.

Park is South Weald, it's in Brentwood, Essex.