Farm Tracks and Private Roads

[Leah]

Where I live there are a lot of farms and roads connecting them and the fields. I've been planning some routes and checking google street view, and come across a few which state 'no unauthorised vehicles' or 'farm access only'

Maps

This one is probably not accesible -
Maps

Am I allowed to cycle down these lanes? I guess the answer is no, however, does anyone ride down these lanes anyway or have spoken to any land owners who have said it is ok for their land? Should I find the land owner and ask permission?

Thing is, there are some lovely routes around here that include these tracks, and I would love to cycle them.

 

[HLaB]

I've no idea of the full in and outs of it especially in England but it seems there is nothing land owners can actually do to stop you unless you are actually doing damage , they can sue you but its very unlikely. From the net (so don't take it as 100%):

Any person can enter a place if the landowners permit it. However, this does not necessarily make a permanent right of access, and unless they have dedicated a bit of land to be permanently open it is within the power of the landowner to ask any person to leave, assuming that person does not have some other lawful reason to be there. The landowner does not have to give a reason. If the person does not go immediately, by the shortest practical route, then they are trespassing. Despite the well known sign ‘trespassers will be prosecuted’, trespass is not a criminal offence and trespassers cannot usually be prosecuted. They can, however, be sued. There is little chance of such a matter ever being so serious as to be worth suing over, and so this rarely happens.

 

[Garz]

My only concerns would be dogs and guard dogs in these circumstances.

Best idea if the land is accessible and you can have a word with the owner they usually are friendly enough to oblige if all your doing is cycling through.

 

[Globalti]

You really need to go and buy the 1 in 25,000 Ordnance Survey map of your area. This will repay the investment many times over because it will open your eyes to the variety of routes as well as showing you interesting places to visit (unlike a crapnav, which will only show the route, like viewing a map down a rolled-up newspaper) and it will indicate rights of way. The green dotted lines are footpaths and you have no right to ride a bike on these (in my book that doesn't mean you must NOT ride on them, but that's another argument). The green dashed lines are bridleways, you can ride a bike or a horse along these.

Up to the 1960s most public byways in Britain were bridleways because they had evolved over the centuries as trade routes used by packhorse trains. In the 1960s local governments sought to escape the obligation to maintain these to a high standard by reclassifying them on the new OS maps as footpaths, so most of the bridleways were lost.

So now you know.

Is this your area?

 

[Amanda P]

I spend a fair bit of my time working on farmland. It's my experience that farmers' attitudes to use of their roads and tracks varies, often geographically. In some areas, every track is locked up or blocked off in some way. In others, they're not but if you use one and you're not known to the owner, someone will mysteriously pop up as if by magic and challenge you. In still other areas, no-one seems to mind - as long as you're not obviously up to no good. It helps if you're local and known in the farming community.

If there's a road you'd like to use regularly, I suggest you ask anyone working nearby about it. If it's theirs, you'll get an answer. The chances are that if it's not theirs, they'll know who's it is.

 

[Globalti]

The areas where farmers feel compelled to block routes are on the fringes of the big cities where there are raids by criminals and a problem with offroaders on motorbikes and in 4x4s. In remote countryside on a vehicle track not classified as BW I have only once been told to go back by a farmer but he relented when I protested that I had just fished his jack russel out from the bottom of a stack of tyres where I had heard it barking! (It had gone ratting!)

 

[marinyork]

The OS says the rest of the first road is classified road so I'd say you can probably get awaywith the first one even if it is restricted (doesn't appear to be particularly clear - there does seem to be a sensor attached to a post). The second one is basically an extended driveway that goes nowhere. If you have a look on the OS on bing.com you can see there are plenty of bridleways (including lanes in your area) I've even been on some of them.

Google maps gives a very poor indication as to the status of a road/track/path it's much better to use things like Openstreetmap that is incomplete or OS through the paper maps or bing etc.

 

[sgw]

I agree with Globalti above. Get a good map (OS or Harveys) of the area and you will know where you have the right to ride.

That doesn't mean that you can't ride on the "private" tracks you mention, just that it isn't necessarily your right to.

Personally I have found trying to get individual permission to ride such tracks rarely worth the trouble. In the areas I tend to visit there are miles and miles of open country with no easy way of determining ownership. I work on the principle that if some absentee landlord has more land than they can keep an eye on, it's fair game for me to make good use of. If some jobsworth lackey of the landlord starts with the GOML line, I agree to leave...in the direction of my choosing.

I do prefer bridleways when available though, far less stressful.



"This land is our land"

 

[marzjennings]

I have always used these road and tracks to connect to bridleways, paths and other legitimate trails and never had a problem. The trick seemed to be to know exactly where your going, don't look lost or just wander about, go straight from A to B. I always approach anyone I see with a cheery Hello, state where I'm trying to reach and ask if that's ok? This all seemed to work fine in Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire and across some fancy estates and farms. Thinks to watch out for are that you're not crossing mililtary land, getting chased by 4 guys in a Landrover is never fun and be aware of how rich or famous the land owner is as some employee rather over enthusiastic security.

 

[marinyork]

I'd emphasise that OS maps are also available in libraries and on the internet. Moreover I would say that the 50,000/1s landrangers that have a pink cover are more suitable for cycling. Then again if you don't want to go far and get a really detailed view the 25,000 may be for you.

 

[Globalti]

For a serious roadie covering many miles, yes, a 1:50,000 map is appropriate but for the OP who wants to explore the local lanes and byways a 1:25,000 map is perfect. It will also show the tourist info like pubs, tea shops and other attractions.

 

[marinyork]

For a serious roadie covering many miles, yes, a 1:50,000 map is appropriate but for the OP who wants to explore the local lanes and byways a 1:25,000 map is perfect. It will also show the tourist info like pubs, tea shops and other attractions.

So does OSM, so does the 25,000/1 maps online. I own the 50,000 maps for much of the north of England. I still zoom in and use the 25,000/1 on-line and use OpenStreetmap/opencyclemap extensively but then I would say that I contribute a lot to it. The 25,000 are great, I'd just have to own about 3x as many maps as I do and that's more space, much greater cost. I could also go down the local library and borrow the orange ones. I'd love OSM/cycle to be the definitive for cyclists but it still needs a lot of works on bridleways/footpaths that's pretty much what is missing these days.

 

[guitarpete247]

I used to ride round the lanes here. The Google car didn't go down but I took the MTB. I used Bridleways and Footpaths. The problem with footpaths is there are often stiles to get over. My justification to myself was that I would get off and walk if I was obstructing walkers but never had a problem. I did plan out my route using the very map Globalti shows. I passed many farm workers who just gave a cheery wave as they passed. I got out of their way as they drove past as it is their workplace. I saw tyre tracks from both cycles and motorbikes so tracks were used by others.

I would just go for it but I try to avoid riding through farm yards, as that is where you may get hassle either from the landowner or their dogs. You wouldn't want people riding through your garden.

Your second map link shows the Google car got that far so I'd at least go to there then make up my mind how much further I could reasonably go.

If someone asks you to leave then leave but I find most farmers are ok with cyclists as we are not trail bikes. Keep to the tracks and keep out of fields that don't have footpaths.

 

[Ticktockmy]

If I may try to add my two pennyworth.

Public- rights-way (ROW) are a nightmare.

Not wanting to teach peeps to suck eggs there are different ROW.

Ok we Have the normal roads we drive our cars and ride cycles on, Motorways, A roads, B roads, and unclassified minor roads. All shown on the OS 1:50000 and 1:25:000 then we come to the group of ROW’s , which are Classified as Footpaths, for us cyclist it is against the law to cycle on a footpath, but you can push your cycle along it. Then we have a bridleway or bridlepath same thing, well we can cycle on it as long as we give way to other users. Then we have Byway open to all traffic (BOATS), well that what it says, it can be used by all traffic, well not quite in some cases; also if you drive a motorised vehicle along it must have a vehicle excise disk displayed and be insured, as per any vehicle travelling on normal roads.

Then on some maps you will still find a path marked as a series of red dots and dashes this is a Road used a public path (RUPP) this was a interim, symbol which was used to cover the vagaries of the definitive maps (Maps used by councils to mark out the status of ROWs in the area) basically in most cases it will in time be replaced by either a BOAT or Bridleway symbols, and on most OS 1:50000 and 1:250000 it has already be done.

With regard to BOATS the councils can and have in many cases applied for a Traffic Regulating Order (TOR) this will control who can use the BOAT, Normally it is applied against recreational motorbikes and four wheel drive vehicles (FWD) , note the word “Recreational”.

All of the above ROWs of course pass over in most cases private land, the council only own the ROW, in an administrative sense. Thus you can if you have the landowners permission ride along a public footpath, because you are riding on the owners land. And as long as you do not hinder someone else or force them to divert off the path by riding on the footpath then there is not really a offence committed.

Now we come to another form or road, and these are the ones which can cause conflict, as most of you know it was not until 1902 that they started to cover roads with a tar and slag mix, which we know today as tarmac. Over the years roads were graded and covered in tarmac, but many are still not, and what you have is roads known as Cart roads and or County roads, many where roads which ceased to be used as main roads when the turnpike roads where laid down. But they are shown on the Council definitive maps, which any member of the public has the right o look at. Thus we have many Cart roads, County roads, which run through estates, farms and cross all manner of terrain, because the public have very little interest in them the owner of the land they cross has in a lot of cases assumed that he owns the road and has gated it or blocked it illegally. So if you have problems with a land owner regarding farm tracks etc, contact your county ROW officer and ask him what the status of the track is.

Phew..now I need a glass or red wine.

 

[Globalti]

Your last paragraph is interesting, thanks.