A

Anaconda

Well-Known Member
Had a trip out on Friday up to Uffington onto Barbury Castle, down to Silbury Hill, skirted the top of Salisbury Plain and upto Coombe Gibbet.
Mostly a scenic drive but took in a few green lanes and ucr's, had to reverse out of one as someone had put in a random fence and gate, no idea if it was there legally.
Even had a nice bit of sunshine 🌞
 

Attachments

  • IMG-20231208-WA0005.jpg
    IMG-20231208-WA0005.jpg
    224.4 KB · Views: 142
  • IMG-20231208-WA0007.jpg
    IMG-20231208-WA0007.jpg
    148.4 KB · Views: 130
  • IMG-20231208-WA0001.jpg
    IMG-20231208-WA0001.jpg
    237.5 KB · Views: 127
  • IMG-20231208-WA0000.jpg
    IMG-20231208-WA0000.jpg
    233.1 KB · Views: 129
It was pretty empty, couple of cars and a hippy van.
Toilets out of order due to no soapy water, by the rust on the padlocks they haven't been open for 10 years.
 
Anaconda said:
Had a trip out on Friday up to Uffington onto Barbury Castle, down to Silbury Hill, skirted the top of Salisbury Plain and upto Coombe Gibbet.
Mostly a scenic drive but took in a few green lanes and ucr's, had to reverse out of one as someone had put in a random fence and gate, no idea if it was there legally.
Even had a nice bit of sunshine 🌞
Click to expand...
Used to drive several lanes round there when I lived in North Hampshire for a few years in the late 80s.
My favourite was along the Ridgeway, from near Uffington White Horse, past Wayland's Smithy, and along to places I can't remember the names of now.
When I last visited that area in about 2010, I had a look at it, and most of the Ridgeway where we used to drive had been turned into Restricted Byways. I thought that was a bit of a shame.
 
Turboman said:
Used to drive several lanes round there when I lived in North Hampshire for a few years in the late 80s.
My favourite was along the Ridgeway, from near Uffington White Horse, past Wayland's Smithy, and along to places I can't remember the names of now.
When I last visited that area in about 2010, I had a look at it, and most of the Ridgeway where we used to drive had been turned into Restricted Byways. I thought that was a bit of a shame.
Click to expand...
Pretty much all of it is restricted in one way or another, even some of which you could drive recently has seasonal tro's and trial restrictions the rest of the year?
I guess the idea is get the lanes so overgrown they are not drivable.
I have found many of the lanes are worth visiting for the scenery alone, the lanes are not a challenge so the idiots in our community decide to make their own tracks adjacent to the byway for a challenge.
Personally I don't think seasonal tro's are a bad idea on the lanes that need it, some of course are restricted just for the sake of it
 
Anaconda said:
Pretty much all of it is restricted in one way or another, even some of which you could drive recently has seasonal tro's and trial restrictions the rest of the year?
I guess the idea is get the lanes so overgrown they are not drivable.
I have found many of the lanes are worth visiting for the scenery alone, the lanes are not a challenge so the idiots in our community decide to make their own tracks adjacent to the byway for a challenge.
Personally I don't think seasonal tro's are a bad idea on the lanes that need it, some of course are restricted just for the sake of it
Click to expand...
The seasonal restrictions, I don't have a problem with.
The restricted byways, on the other hand, I thought were pretty dodgy.
The stated reason for the change of status was that 4x4s were damaging the lanes in the area.
And that may have been true in some small areas, but from what I could see much more damage was being caused by agricultural tractors.
 
Turboman said:
The seasonal restrictions, I don't have a problem with.
The restricted byways, on the other hand, I thought were pretty dodgy.
The stated reason for the change of status was that 4x4s were damaging the lanes in the area.
And that may have been true in some small areas, but from what I could see much more damage was being caused by agricultural tractors.
Click to expand...
This is exactly true, the farmers on adjacent land can use some of the byways whenever they like for access.
If you take the Ridgeway from Streatley to East Ilsley for example. This has a seasonal tro but can be used for agricultural reasons all year. The ground wouldn't be damaged if open all year round, water run off causes more damage if the drains cut into it is anything to go by.
Besides any of the jacked up big wheel brigade take little notice of any rules imposed.
We had a little chat with a farmer who had a lane running through his farm, he was more concerned we were hare coursing than anything else.
Always be polite that's what I say.
 
Anaconda said:
This is exactly true, the farmers on adjacent land can use some of the byways whenever they like for access.
If you take the Ridgeway from Streatley to East Ilsley for example. This has a seasonal tro but can be used for agricultural reasons all year. The ground wouldn't be damaged if open all year round, water run off causes more damage if the drains cut into it is anything to go by.
Besides any of the jacked up big wheel brigade take little notice of any rules imposed.
We had a little chat with a farmer who had a lane running through his farm, he was more concerned we were hare coursing than anything else.
Always be polite that's what I say.
Click to expand...
That is about right too.
I was farming for 32 years, and I have been on countless farms contracting, delivering cattle, etc.
And for most farmers, 4x4s damaging the ground are way below many of their other concerns.
Which will probably include illegal coursing/lamping, dogs worrying livestock, farm buildings and hay'straw stacks being set fire to, and thefts of machinery and equipment from farmyards.
 
Had another tootle around in the countryside yesterday . Bit of a chilly day but the heater sorted that, eventually.
Bit of autumn colour, blue skies and even some snow & ice.
 

Attachments

  • 20241122_082304.jpg
    20241122_082304.jpg
    556.2 KB · Views: 15
  • 20241122_103620.jpg
    20241122_103620.jpg
    353.3 KB · Views: 15
  • 20241122_114825.jpg
    20241122_114825.jpg
    446.3 KB · Views: 15
  • 20241122_075817.jpg
    20241122_075817.jpg
    601.6 KB · Views: 16
You must log in or register to reply here.