Private roads

[AndyPeace]

How do you tell if your allowed to cycle on a road? In traveling a little further, I seem to be coming across dead ends where roads said they carried on. like this one. This is where my 50 miler came to an abrupt stop sunday http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.0...03526,0.006899&t=h&z=17&lci=com.panoramio.all
I was approaching Middlehill House (the octogan shapped building) There was a large metal gate, operated by a keypad or intercom, with a sign saying private road. Fair enough, I appreciate people need to protect property etc, just wish I'd known before hand.
If I'd had a paper map with me I'd have seen an alternative route but as it was I headed back the way I came. If I'd know in the first place I'd have planned a different route. If it's not a public right of way is it coloured different on OS maps?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I don't think you can identify them on OS

 

[Svendo]

Several things to try. If the google streetview car has been down it's almost certainly a highway, and therefore open to all vehicles unless road signs says otherwise. If it's marked in yellow on an ordnance survey it's probably a highway. If it's just white on the OS it's hard to tell if it's a highway or a non-highway private road (BTW a private road can still be a highway, and is usually called 'unadopted') OS will also mark bridleways (long dashesin red or green) which are also open to non-motorised vehicles.
Next place to look is the local highway authorities online map (if they have one). They usually have different layers for roads (i.e. highways) and rights of way (footpaths where cycling is a civil offence and bridleways where it's allowed).
Looked up the road I think you wanted to take on Worcestershire's map and it is a street (i.e. it's address is on the local authorities list of official addresses.) but it's not a highway or a public right of way.

 

[AndyPeace]

Several things to try. If the google streetview car has been down it's almost certainly a highway, and therefore open to all vehicles unless road signs says otherwise. If it's marked in yellow on an ordnance survey it's probably a highway. If it's just white on the OS it's hard to tell if it's a highway or a non-highway private road (BTW a private road can still be a highway, and is usually called 'unadopted') OS will also mark bridleways (long dashesin red or green) which are also open to non-motorised vehicles.
Next place to look is the local highway authorities online map (if they have one). They usually have different layers for roads (i.e. highways) and rights of way (footpaths where cycling is a civil offence and bridleways where it's allowed).
Looked up the road I think you wanted to take on Worcestershire's map and it is a street (i.e. it's address is on the local authorities list of official addresses.) but it's not a highway or a public right of way.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of looking on the local Council site. There really should be a key for restricted access roads and being English I may have to write a letter to someone about that, when I retire in 25years or so (I'd like the time to properly word it).

I take it it's just me who finds these roads?

 

[subaqua]

definitive map held by your local authority for highways will show whats what. used to be free to look at and annotate your own maps from but not sure now- not needed to do it for a few years .

 

[hoski]

Thanks, I hadn't thought of looking on the local Council site. There really should be a key for restricted access roads and being English I may have to write a letter to someone about that, when I retire in 25years or so (I'd like the time to properly word it).

I take it it's just me who finds these roads?

No, it really isn't. I was taking a nice circular route when I cycled down a road to a couple of houses surrounded by fields with a sort of crossroads. The map said to continue straight across, so I did. It was a fairly rough track, slightly up hill, through the middle of a field, which ended in a 10ft chainlink gate with a huge f-off padlock.

Suffice to say at no point did it mention that this was a 'private' road. And the map showed it linking up to a footpath - which implies right of way. Never bothered checking though.

And after re-planning the route, I came to a sign saying 'PRIVATE', on the edge of a small woodland with a slightly grubby caravan nearby. Not wanting to end up as the victim in a bad horror B-movie I took yet another detour across a grassed field (bridleway) in what I like to think of as 'a lucky escape'.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Ordnance Survey Maps

For a ride I did at the weekend (more on that when I type it up) I was hopeful that a road marked as 'other' on my ordnance survey would be passable, alas no its not a right of way and was for pure comedy value blocked with a tractor at a key point. Its worth checking in advance as relying on google maps has caught me out more than once so now I always have an ordnance or other proper map with me for points I'm not sure about.