Wiltshire green lanes

Hicap phill · May 11, 2024

Anaconda said:
Does it actually have a height restriction or is it naturally restricted, we used the next lane along, to the east,last year.
Did you drive Bulford drove?
We drove it in the 2a about 10 years back and it was quite an experience then, in the dark.

Just natural restrictions… trees & expensive roof tents. Went round the corner 100yards in & found water ditch & low stuff. Only single track.

Started tidworth tank crossing,up past back gates & looped over ranges(flags down) using old malbough road .
Nine mile river has deep water crossings.

Not much round bulford.
Popped over to Stonehenge to show a tourist with us. Don’t forget the byway that goes straight over A303 is closed
Drive everywhere on standard tyres & no diff lock/low box needed

goonarmy · May 14, 2024

Hicap phill said:
Just natural restrictions… trees & expensive roof tents. Went round the corner 100yards in & found water ditch & low stuff. Only single track.

Started tidworth tank crossing,up past back gates & looped over ranges(flags down) using old malbough road .
Nine mile river has deep water crossings.

View attachment 316833
Not much round bulford.
Popped over to Stonehenge to show a tourist with us. Don’t forget the byway that goes straight over A303 is closed
Drive everywhere on standard tyres & no diff lock/low box needed

View attachment 316834

Yer motor looks like it sits really high without the arches.

Anaconda · May 27, 2024

Byway leading up Sugar Hill blocked by large boulder placed on the lane towards the top of the hill. You can drive around if you can get out of the ruts. Needs rolling off down the hill I guess, sure someone will do it.

Hicap phill · Jul 28, 2024

Out this morning on the bike & found the gate locked. Not checked to see if Wiltshire council still have the restrictions on it.(past few years a section has been closed)but used to be able to get through to another section

Continue down the Byway by bike and spot that another route is blocked by a tree

But the gate that has been closed and used as a diversion route(between the locked gate & tree is open… time to check

Get about 3 miles further in & find another restriction

Now if they don’t allow motors down it,this will soon become a single track. The section they say was repaired 4 years ago is still a challenge for a walker & cyclist. As it’s now over grown

Well at least me & the dog had a nice morning out

Once back at the motor had a drive down some other sections of the ridgeway around barbury castle. Pleasant day out

Hicap phill · Jul 28, 2024

So now checked and the log blocked lane should be open

But the section of the ridgeway is closed to traffic still.so time to chat with council. Explain that the log should be removed, the open gate locked again,section of ridgeway to open & locked gate to be opened. This is how it’s been for a few years.
And I did not got to the end of the log blocked lane to see if the farmer has still got this locked. A lot of the farmers leave locked until they get a complaint from the council to open to stop acsess onto there land by hare coursers

Time to find the restrictions dates for the ridgeway again

Anaconda · Jul 28, 2024

All the Ridgeway from the White horse south is permanently winter tro and temporary tro the rest of the year. I am convinced the council are deliberately making it impassable before any effort is made to reopen it.

Hicap phill · Jul 28, 2024

Anaconda said:
All the Ridgeway from the White horse south is permanently winter tro and temporary tro the rest of the year. I am convinced the council are deliberately making it impassable before any effort is made to reopen it.

This is from hackpen to Avebury(green road
Gate closed/locked at hackpen
Log at next byway/UCR on right back to Devizes road
Can’t wait to catch the tractors using it again & report them to the council.

If you go over towards Shrivenham there are sections of this open. It’s chalk based on the track & water washes it out. If you think it’s hard on a motor try it on a pushbike. Council just closed this to motors to make life easier for them.

Just getting back out on the bike as brain cell needs refreshing & dog enjoys it.

doriz · Jul 28, 2024

Hicap phill said:
Out this morning on the bike & found the gate locked. Not checked to see if Wiltshire council still have the restrictions on it.(past few years a section has been closed)but used to be able to get through to another section
View attachment 322483
Continue down the Byway by bike and spot that another route is blocked by a tree
View attachment 322485
But the gate that has been closed and used as a diversion route(between the locked gate & tree is open… time to check

View attachment 322486
Get about 3 miles further in & find another restriction
View attachment 322487
Now if they don’t allow motors down it,this will soon become a single track. The section they say was repaired 4 years ago is still a challenge for a walker & cyclist. As it’s now over grown
View attachment 322488

Well at least me & the dog had a nice morning out
View attachment 322489

Once back at the motor had a drive down some other sections of the ridgeway around barbury castle. Pleasant day out
View attachment 322491

A spaniel without a tennis ball

Hicap phill · Jul 28, 2024

doriz said:
A spaniel without a tennis ball

He won’t play ball…. Hated the last 3 others in the s local park either nicking footballs or tennis balls. This is his toy. Carries it all round the house/car then leaves it there and runs crazy like every thing else.
And yes he’s had some looks when he takes it to the kennels

Hicap phill · Aug 3, 2024

Not all my green lane days are in a 4x4.
Today’s was a mountain bike day again. Started on an old railway line now a cycle route then popped onto a byway.

Carried on and and lanes close in with branches

Only looks like a few motorbikes have used this route. Few ruts covered in grass. As this is not a restricted winter lane probally gets a bit more use after October.
Got to the end of the lane,crossed the country lane onto another marked byway

Now the OS maps show this as a byway but definitive map shows it closed. Continue up to the closure point & also find a trunk across a bridalway(wilts council love me)

Carry on pedaling up towards barbury castle,lane is still used by horse riders
Views are nice in the area. In the distance is the other ridgeway towards malbough.
And yep the byway up to that mast is a killer on my legs

Good pedal down hill and back to the motor on the same route reversed.at least the dog is getting fitter

Hicap phill · Aug 4, 2024

Few more miles on lanes again today. Most of the lanes are made with old road scalpings. Makes up hill in gravel hard on a bike.
Few places washed out. A lot of camper vans parked on the ridgeway. Only saw walkers out today. Lanes are very quiet. Restricted byway slowly over growing.

Anaconda · Sep 4, 2024

Seems to be a permanent closure on The Ridgeway from Overton up to the White Horse at Hackpen. This leaves a couple of other lanes as dead ends so will not get used in the future. From 10/07/2024.
Doubt it will be long until it's permanently closed all the way to Barbury Castle, currently covered by a seasonal TRO.

Knappster · Sep 5, 2024

Anaconda said:
Seems to be a permanent closure on The Ridgeway from Overton up to the White Horse at Hackpen. This leaves a couple of other lanes as dead ends so will not get used in the future. From 10/07/2024.
Doubt it will be long until it's permanently closed all the way to Barbury Castle, currently covered by a seasonal TRO.

As a result of overuse, camping or ignoring winter TRO’s?

Anaconda · Sep 5, 2024

Knappster said:
As a result of overuse, camping or ignoring winter TRO’s?

Haven't been possible to drive down it for a few years now.
Usual excuse of possible damage.
Got me thinking though, I don't see tarmac roads being closed due to possible damage, most of them are in a worse state.
I wonder what the actual legal criteria is for closing a byway?
I drove the bottom end when it was open, maybe 8 years ago, you could drive it in 2 wheel drive so I really don't know what the excuse is. Thought the seasonal TRO was a sensible compromise, although that then turned into motorbikes only, then it became a permanent winter TRO , and a temporary summer TRO in-between, so effectively making it a yearly TRO!
Anyway it's now closed so no one can enjoy it except a few ramblers.

Hicap phill · Sep 5, 2024

Anaconda said:
Seems to be a permanent closure on The Ridgeway from Overton up to the White Horse at Hackpen. This leaves a couple of other lanes as dead ends so will not get used in the future. From 10/07/2024.
Doubt it will be long until it's permanently closed all the way to Barbury Castle, currently covered by a seasonal TRO.

They should open up 2 of these lanes that go onto the ridgeway, both are no where near the so say damaged area. Both have exits away for the closed section.
As for the work they say they have done….
Nope they have not done anything to restore the section/reason it was closed.
I cycled this route for years

Oh & I bet there will be tractor tracks down most of the lanes where they been combine & straw cart.

I will once again put my views to the local ROW officer about the closures.

There’s a few of the lanes round the same area they have graded & out scalpings down to prevent the damage.. still a few lanes round the back of the stones that no one uses

Anaconda · Sep 5, 2024

Forgot to mention when I drove this lane a couple of months back the farmer had ploughed up the lane and sown crops on it.
Previous year someone had strung a washing line type cable across the entrance at motorbike head height, great!

Hicap phill · Sep 5, 2024

Anaconda said:
Haven't been possible to drive down it for a few years now.
Usual excuse of possible damage.
Got me thinking though, I don't see tarmac roads being closed due to possible damage, most of them are in a worse state.
I wonder what the actual legal criteria is for closing a byway?
I drove the bottom end when it was open, maybe 8 years ago, you could drive it in 2 wheel drive so I really don't know what the excuse is. Thought the seasonal TRO was a sensible compromise, although that then turned into motorbikes only, then it became a permanent winter TRO , and a temporary summer TRO in-between, so effectively making it a yearly TRO!
Anyway it's now closed so no one can enjoy it except a few ramblers.

I enjoy it on the bike

Hicap phill · Sep 5, 2024

Anaconda said:
Forgot to mention when I drove this lane a couple of months back the farmer had ploughed up the lane and sown crops on it.
Previous year someone had strung a washing line type cable across the entrance at motorbike head height, great!
View attachment 325333

Did you go across the straight over the road,down the gravel track to the fork in the road(bridalway & by way through the sheep field)? Normally the grass is long & hides the ruts

Anaconda · Sep 5, 2024

Hicap phill said:
They should open up 2 of these lanes that go onto the ridgeway, both are no where near the so say damaged area. Both have exits away for the closed section.
As for the work they say they have done….
Nope they have not done anything to restore the section/reason it was closed.
I cycled this route for years

Oh & I bet there will be tractor tracks down most of the lanes where they been combine & straw cart.

I will once again put my views to the local ROW officer about the closures.

There’s a few of the lanes round the same area they have graded & out scalpings down to prevent the damage.. still a few lanes round the back of the stones that no one uses

The top part between Hackpen and Barbury is graded, you would need a tracked vehicle to damage that.

Hicap phill · Sep 5, 2024

Anaconda said:
The top part between Hackpen and Barbury is graded, you would need a tracked vehicle to damage that.

Just at the base of barbury you can drop down a lane. This is on a seasonal TRO like rest of the sections.
You can also go past the horse yards which is now graded.went down this way a few years ago on recovery for a LZ member who was stuck

Need any info on any lanes in that area?

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