Road and Bridleway Access question

[criso]

We were on our way home tonight and came along a way we normally use and got challenged.

We came off a bridleway onto a residential road which we usually take, ride along for about 100 yards before turning into a coded gate onto a private track with which takes us on to the land owned by the farm where our yard is. The farmer gives us the codes so we can get in and out the back way and get access to all the bridleways.

This road looks like a normal road, there is nothing to say that it isn't and has a fair amount of residential traffic and parked cars.

The guy told us that we weren't allowed on it and should have stayed on the bridlepath. I asked what it was classified as and he said footpath, I raised an eyebrow, given he had driven up to us and was in his car talking to us. He said they are in the process of putting up signs to stop horse riders using it.
I've had a quick look on the ordnance survey site and it's down as a road and also a recreational track.

So it's not down as a footpath or bridlepath and it is clearly a well maintained road apparently open to traffic and a bus goes along part of it.

The only thing I could think of is that it was a private residential road but there is nothing to say that it is private.

Is there something else it could be that would be open to cars but not horses?

 

[Dolcé]

I would have thought that, however it is classified, if the gateway to your farms land leads from it, then you would have right of access anyway. If it is a road then it is open to all traffic and if it were a private road then there should be signs up (but would still expect you to have right of access) It will just be some local nosy parker who thinks he knows more than he does. Speak to the farmer, he will know!

 

[Laura1234]

He's a troll!
Unless the Council puts signs up, I would continue to ride on it. Where we are, footpaths etc clearly say 'footpath only, no horses'.
If buses go down the road, I can't see how it is a private road!?? They can't just put their own signs up either, it has to be done by the Council.
If you get challenged just tell them you have checked the maps, and know where you can ride, thank you very much! Good day to you - troll!!

 

[criso]

There is another way round but it only brings us out at the other side of the roundabout that the farm track leads to. It's a back way onto the farm not a main entrance.
The farmer's away at the moment but planning on asking him when he gets back. It's clearly not a footpath and I've never seen any signs but then you don't look if you just think it's a public road.

It's the kind of very expensive development that you sometimes get where people move to the country and then complain if they see an animal.

 

[YorksG]

Even when a path is designated a footpath, only the land owner has the right to challenge you. Thank the man for his concern and carry on.

 

[PeterNatt]

Please let me have details of the the exact location and I will investigate it further for you. You can e-mail me on peter.natt@btinternet.com
Peter Natt - BHS Volunteer Bridleway Officer Hertfordshire

 

[Happy Hunter]

i'm doing equally well this month.
Wrote to the local rights of way officer to let him know the bridleway bridge is broken - Only to discover that its a footpath - and signed as a bridleway in error.
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy236/yellow_u49/Cote Road Bridge/
Its truely tiny!
When i said that I and many others have been riding across it for several years, and can it be converted at all - He replied 'sorry i dont think we have the budget for that!'

Cue some totally unsuitable replacement bridge and me loosing a vital bit of track!

OP - I would say thats a busy body - who doesnt like poo on his road or something. a copy of the OS map kept in a handy pocket might help next time

 

[OWLIE185]

Happy Hacker
You need to sort this out and find out what the status of this track really is by contacting the Definitive Map Officer at the County Council.
If it is only a public footpath then you need to get evidence forms completed by all past users of the route and make a claim as a bridleway so that it becomes of bridleway status. Your local BHS volunteer bridleway officer will be able to offer you advice and help. If you need their contact details then contact me.

 

[galaxy]

i'm doing equally well this month.
Wrote to the local rights of way officer to let him know the bridleway bridge is broken - Only to discover that its a footpath - and signed as a bridleway in error.
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy236/yellow_u49/Cote Road Bridge/
Its truely tiny!
When i said that I and many others have been riding across it for several years, and can it be converted at all - He replied 'sorry i dont think we have the budget for that!'

Cue some totally unsuitable replacement bridge and me loosing a vital bit of track!

OP - I would say thats a busy body - who doesnt like poo on his road or something. a copy of the OS map kept in a handy pocket might help next time

If it has been used as a bridleway for a certain period of time, you can apply to have it's use changed from footpath to bridleway

We had this with a local path to us that people rode down for years, noone minded as it was just a small section before it hit a bridleway. Then the local houses were bought up by city people, one being a lawyer, who decided they didn't like the sound of the hooves! So it all blew up and in the end backfired in his face because it got changed from a footpath to a bridlepath. The premise being that it had been ridden down for a certain number of years.

 

[xena_wales]

Criso, you may need to speak to your Highways department to see if it's on their "List of Street" and thus publically maintainable. Definitely take up PeterNatt on his offer, he'll be in an excellent position to advise further.

 

[criso]

Have already emailed PeterNatt so we'll see what it's status is.

The road ( and it is a road with tarmac and buses and streetlights and speedbumps) may be private but it does form a link between the back entrance to the farm and the bridleways. it also gets used by the farm traffic to access land down there. Without that road we are cut off from the bridleways unless we go on a very busy main road or go a really long way round.

I think it's similar to Galaxy23's lawyer except rather than old houses being bought new ones were built and now there are people who object to hooves and horse poo outside their houses. That's why I took it seriously, I suspect there is a residents association trying to stop us riding there if they can and these are people with alot of money.

 

[Dizzydancer]

We had this problem also from where we keep my loan horses. There road is a dirt track in best description, basically one person has kicked off about it there are signs up stating private no vehicles/horses except for access, we obv have access as they live on that road as do about 4 other houses all with horses. It is usually one person who doesnt like horses on the road. I would agree that as a bus uses it then its not a footpath or private. But as your field has access onto the road then yes you have right to use the road even if it were "private"

 

[Pedantic]

If it has been used as a bridleway for a certain period of time, you can apply to have it's use changed from footpath to bridleway

We had this with a local path to us that people rode down for years, noone minded as it was just a small section before it hit a bridleway. Then the local houses were bought up by city people, one being a lawyer, who decided they didn't like the sound of the hooves! So it all blew up and in the end backfired in his face because it got changed from a footpath to a bridlepath. The premise being that it had been ridden down for a certain number of years.

Hahhahaahhah love it

 

[Pedantic]

You could do what I normally do, politely tell him to go ******** himself