Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Ladies & Gents can someone please shed light on whether routes with the green diamonds (1:25k) are legally rideable please, I can't tell from the text?

Cheers
Harv

I'd say no.
The symbol for a byway is different.

extract from the OS map website

Recreational route – these are routes created by Local Authorities, Government Agencies or volunteer organisations. They mainly follow existing rights of way and are waymarked, usually by whichever organisation created the route. If the route is also an existing right of way it will be maintained by a local authority. Any sections not part of existing rights of way may be maintained by the creating organisation. Local Authorities give OS permission to show these routes, but they may not actively promote the routes or give them priority over other rights of way.

I have know idea!!
OS Website

Some parts of these routes MAY have vehicular rights, but it is unlikely that the whole route will. They are so-called National Trails...a chain of footpaths and other rights of way which is given a trendy name to encourage use by tourists on foot.

It's 'marketing' rather than legal.

Agreed. Symbols like this mark stuff like Pennine Way, popular marked routes, usually pedestrian, sometimes bridleway, sometimes BOAT, sometimes even paved road. Not likely a route to make you popular riding your bike from start to finish on though!

Richard Simpson wrote:Some parts of these routes MAY have vehicular rights, but it is unlikely that the whole route will. They are so-called National Trails...a chain of footpaths and other rights of way which is given a trendy name to encourage use by tourists on foot.

It's 'marketing' rather than legal.

And the marketing in my experience, omits the fact that the "trails" often have rights for users other than footpath walkers...

Hiya
part of the route I'm looking at is also marked as roman road so it's history goes back a way, it's a minefield of ambiguous data to be sure :dry: .
Thanks for the replies - I'll take it that there is no definitive answer from the OS and see what sign posts are on the ground, the local council access map (not the definitive map) shows some part of the roman road as ride-able but not others .

Cheers
Harv

Harvey try looking on your local council website they may have a digital version of the definitive map availible online depending on what county you are looking at. these can be very helpful.

Also remember that OS maps go out of date quickly and many now closed byways and ucrs are still shown.

your local trf group may well have excellent information.

Mike

OS maps are only as accurate as their last revision. Their record of vehicular rights of way such as RUPPs and BOATs - given the widespread closure of greenlanes in recent years, is often highly inaccurate.

The only way to be certain that a right of way bears vehicular status is to view the Definitive Map, which will be kept at the Highways Department of your local County Hall.