Horrible man!!! How do I find out if a path is a footpath or a bridleway?

itsonlyme

itsonlyme

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:mad: We were out hacking last night, down a route we take at least a few times a week (and have done so for years) when we were approached by a man and his dog. The man said (aggressively) "You do realise you're not supposed to be riding here don't you?" He said it was a footpath, which i begged to differ. Anyway, turned into a huge argument with him threatening to call the police. After speaking to another horse owner, apparently there's been a man in the area who's been taking pictures of horseriders - probably the same idiot we met.
As far as i am aware, the track we were on DOES have bridleway status. There are certainly no signs to state otherwise, which you'd think there would be considering the amount of horses in the area (a lot).
I've been onto my local council's website and the only thing i can find is something that says their current 'rights of way map' is under review and will be put online when it's finished.
In the mean time, is there any other way of finding out?

Thanks very much :)
 
What does the OS map say? You can view it online without buying a copy.

I would also speak to your local bhs rights of way officer for help and advice.
 
Check Ordance survey map. You can go on their website and download small map free. Can't imagine police would be interested at all so justcall guys bluff and try to ignore him next time
 
That fact that there is (or isn't!) a sign saying it is (or isn't) a bridleway has no legal status as these signs are put up by volunteers and can often be wrong. Your local authority is right that the definitive rights of way maps are being revised.

In the meanwhile, do as KK suggested and look on an OS map!

bye!
 
Make sure you do not get involved with this person, just ignore him , and if he continues to adopt and aggressive stance inform the police, you have your common law rights, I have resorted to police when a nutty woman kept having a go at me, it worked straight away after two years of annoyance, also the man next door swore at me once, so I asked the police if he was allowed to do so, and they were quite amenable to go and speak to him if I put in a formal complaint, so they must be trained in this sort of thing.
 
Thanks everyone. On the maps now. Forgot how rubbish i am at reading them! Have also emailed the council to ask who the RoW officer is.
Assuming i'm right and it does have bridleway status, i am soooo making a poster of the proof and putting it on the entrance saying "In your face!!!"
When he got his phone out to call the police, i just said "oh yeah, because i'm sure they've got nothing better to be doing with their time". He soon put it back in his pocket. He did swear at us and i told him to pack it in, but if i see him again, i will be putting a complaint in.

Thanks again :) x
 
If it actually is a footpath then you shouldn't be riding on it, however if you have the landowners permission then you are legally allowed to, so if it turns out to be footpath I'd politely ask the landowner for permission to use it.

My friend was accosted by an aggressive man while riding on a footpath which had been regularly used by horses for over thirty years, but then a housing estate was built nearby where this gentleman lived.

After bumping into him she immediately went to the police station and reported him, they called at his house and gave him a strict talking to and told her to ring them immediately if she had problems in the future ridiing along the path!
 
It's not like a concrete path that runs along a road or anything - it's more of a sandy track that runs between farmland (our farm) and some fields owned by the council. The fields have signs on them saying "No public access or right of way. Land reserved for future development". However, the fields are not fenced off and the signs don't stop people from using them. I assume the landowner of the track is the council, but we'll soon find out...if they bother getting back to me. :)
 
I tend to err on the side of caution when there isn't a sign saying 'bridleway/permissive bridleway' or 'byway'.

Should you be proven right, however (and a phone call to the rights of way officer with location of start and finish should be enough), then take the more passive stance of carrying the proof with you for a while, rather than antagonising someone who is clearly under-occupied and with no other outlet for his aggression. Better still, insist on clear signage of the route from the local RoW Officer.
 
Also if council do own it but are sticky about permission then see if you can find online their policy under environment/leisure/health in the local Plan about provision for safe off road routes for vulnerable road users (walkers cyclists and riders). There is often some guff in there about putting in routes where possible; usually its just flannel so it can help to remind them of their own policy and responsibilities to try to encourage and facilitate safe off road walking/riding. Esp as this route has clearly been used for many years.

Try and get the council/developers to make it a multi user track as part of the development of the land, the developers may be amenable as it makes them look good and the council may have the £££ from the developers section 106 'contribution' they have to make as part of the planning permission for local services (more cynical people might call it a compulsory bribe but hey what do I know!) - in this case it will look good if a bit of the ££ goes to a route everyone can use.
 
mollydollymo said:
It's not like a concrete path that runs along a road or anything - it's more of a sandy track that runs between farmland (our farm) and some fields owned by the council. The fields have signs on them saying "No public access or right of way. Land reserved for future development". However, the fields are not fenced off and the signs don't stop people from using them. I assume the landowner of the track is the council, but we'll soon find out...if they bother getting back to me. :)
Click to expand...

Sadly it doesn't have to be a paved footpath, any footpath is out of bounds for equestrians.

If there is signage saying that there is no public access allowed then I think you'll be out of luck sadly. If you go on the Ordnance Survey website the area should be marked with any rights of way.
 
mollydollymo said:
It's not like a concrete path that runs along a road or anything - it's more of a sandy track that runs between farmland (our farm) and some fields owned by the council. The fields have signs on them saying "No public access or right of way. Land reserved for future development". However, the fields are not fenced off and the signs don't stop people from using them. I assume the landowner of the track is the council, but we'll soon find out...if they bother getting back to me. :)
Click to expand...

Erm I think your answer is right there, no public access, no right of way - no riding on it.
Check with your council rights of way dept just incase.
or check on street map they show bridleways
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydollymo
It's not like a concrete path that runs along a road or anything - it's more of a sandy track that runs between farmland (our farm) and some fields owned by the council. The fields have signs on them saying "No public access or right of way. Land reserved for future development". However, the fields are not fenced off and the signs don't stop people from using them. I assume the landowner of the track is the council, but we'll soon find out...if they bother getting back to me.

Erm I think your answer is right there, no public access, no right of way - no riding on it.
Check with your council rights of way dept just incase.
or check on street map they show bridleways

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So he shouldn't be on the path either !
If you and other horse riders have been using this path for a number of years, you may have accumulated some established use. Contact the BHS bridleways officer to help. The council should also have a bridleways/public access officer who should be able to help.
You should persue this, if you are riding in walk and riding with consideration towards other path users honestly what harm does it do. Do people like this man really expect you to ride down a main ride instead ! If he is a car driver he would then complain about you blocking the road and slowing down traffic !
If he is aggressive again report him to the police for harressment !
 
I presume the "no public access" signs refer to the fields and not the sandy track you are on?

If it's marked on the OS map as a bridleway, I would ask the ROW officer to provide signage on the route to reflect that. If not, I would consider looking at the established use side of things...
 
Gingersmum said:
Quote:
So he shouldn't be on the path either !
If you and other horse riders have been using this path for a number of years, you may have accumulated some established use. Contact the BHS bridleways officer to help. The council should also have a bridleways/public access officer who should be able to help.
!
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I doubt that would so anything seeing as the council owns the land.

It infuriates me when people walk/ride over land that they have no rights to. How would you feel if someone had decided to take it upon themselves to ride?

If the sign says keep off then both you and the other man are trespassing.
 
Gingersmum said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydollymo
It's not like a concrete path that runs along a road or anything - it's more of a sandy track that runs between farmland (our farm) and some fields owned by the council. The fields have signs on them saying "No public access or right of way. Land reserved for future development". However, the fields are not fenced off and the signs don't stop people from using them. I assume the landowner of the track is the council, but we'll soon find out...if they bother getting back to me.

Erm I think your answer is right there, no public access, no right of way - no riding on it.
Check with your council rights of way dept just incase.
or check on street map they show bridleways

**********************************************************

So he shouldn't be on the path either !
If you and other horse riders have been using this path for a number of years, you may have accumulated some established use. Contact the BHS bridleways officer to help. The council should also have a bridleways/public access officer who should be able to help.
You should persue this, if you are riding in walk and riding with consideration towards other path users honestly what harm does it do. Do people like this man really expect you to ride down a main ride instead ! If he is a car driver he would then complain about you blocking the road and slowing down traffic !
If he is aggressive again report him to the police for harressment !
Click to expand...

You`d be surprised how much the council may not give a damn, I moved to west wales in december so I could have the horses at home and have "good riding" there is not one bridleway in the area; the one and only marked on an OS map runs through a farm, they wont allow access and I have been in talks with the council and BHS since december, the council cannot decide if it is a bridleway, the BHS are not getting involved (way more interested in the x country course the council has spent £30k + on). The council started a rights of way improvement plan in 2007 lol yet I have nowhere to ride, they keep fobbing me off and telling me to use the road, which is the main trunk road to the ferry port which has literally hundreds of HGV`s using it daily and my lane comes out on the blind bend on this road.
 
I think (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong and if it doesn't relate to horses access) but isn't there some kind of 7 year access law - ie if a route has been used regularly for 7 years or more, then you can claim Right of Way.

If your route turns out not to be an official bridlepath, then I would be inclined to gather as many signatures as possible and write to your council, requesting that the footpath's status be altered and state that you and many others have been riding this route for many years.

It sounds as though some busy-body who has nothing better to do in his life has just moved into the area and wants to cause trouble! The last thing you want is for him to get his complaints to the council asking them to erect gates or something. The council are probably unaware it's been used by riders regularly for years and years. At least if you get your request in first, if this man starts moaning it wont be one sided in his favour, and he'll have to put up a fight to prevent your access.
 
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ThePinkPony said:
I doubt that would so anything seeing as the council owns the land.

It infuriates me when people walk/ride over land that they have no rights to. How would you feel if someone had decided to take it upon themselves to ride?

If the sign says keep off then both you and the other man are trespassing.
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I thought the OP had established there is a right of way on the OS map?

A couple of weeks ago my OH got told he was trespassing, and was threatened when he tried to explain that he wasn't. He was walking the dog on a stretch of public footpath, which goes across an old, derelict police dog training centre. The land has recently been sold, and bought by developers. They've put signs up saying Private property, Keep off, and have employed a security guard! After the nasty encounter, my OH contacting the council, to discover he is still perfectly entitled to walk there!
 
Why get so confrontational with the guy?! the best thing to do is to say 'I'm very sorry, I didn't realise and won't do it again' even if you don't mean it! Getting shirty is just giving us horse riders a bad name!

But I do have to say how annoying it is to have people thinking they can walk / ride / cycle wherever they like, completely oblivious that most of the countryside is infact someone's property (a bit like a back garden!) and not a free-for-all! The number of people we have caught cutting across fields or along farm tracks just because 'I need to get over there!' is unbelievable - If you were driving a car and could see your destination across an open field or someones garden, you wouldn't go off road to cut the corner so why do you think you have the right to do it if you were on a horse, bike, on foot?!

I'd personally be inclined to know your facts before you mouth off to people otherwise you're just adding fuel to their fire. Check out your rights of way and then begin proceedings to make sure all users know their rights. The fact that there is a sign saying 'No public access. keep out' says a lot if you ask me!.
 
Just be very careful. I would ignore him.
Where we used to ride over a common there was a very aggressive man. He had two very unruley dogs who he would actively encourage to bark and run round the horses. Once one of the dogs jumped up against my late mare snarling, she reared and I nearly fell off!
He was very very nasty, shouting about how horses shouldn't be allowed on the common ect ect, laughing when his dogs were frightening the horses.
Anyway he got reported to the police by horse riders numerous times, eventually they went round to his house. They found a room full of horse pictures and he had been throwing knives at the pictures and he had pictures of horses with their heads cut off and other horrible things. The police did more investigation and he had a history of mental illness.

You never know with strangers what their story is or what they are capable of. Do not engage this man and contact the police if he continues to worry you.
 
What makes me angry is that we get moaned at by motorists for riding on the roads, even though we have every right to be there, and then we get shouted and sworn at for riding on an unmarked path as well!! If you aren't doing any harm then why get so angry about it??

The only thing that annoys me is when you get quad bikes or motorbikes on bridleways as its dangerous- they come whizzing round corners not even thinking that there could be a horse there. Had a few close calls.
 
Signs arent always right and if you can with others that you have used the alledged ROW? for xyz years then try to get it recorded as such?Not easy

We have new signs put up saying Bridleway but the council have told me they are Byways and the sign is wrong!! Even though the signs are new

Wouldnt get involved with confrontation etc and let the police know he has been rude or threatening what ever he was??

Although I dont want to upset ramblers as they have done a fairly good job we have lost what we use to ride on now marked as footpaths when for donkeys years no one complained and we thought they were bridleways. Unfortunately there are more ramblers than riders our local council have spent a small fortune on wooden bridges. now metal gates which are ugly etc etc Horse riders in Herts have definitely lost some of their riding places.
 
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