Soft roading and loss(?) of one of our longest lanes (roads)

fritz

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Taken a while for me to stop swearing long enough to share these pics from last Friday, you have to wait to end to see why...

There's not much in way of off road til the end either, but you'll see why it's posted here.

A lovely day, clear but calm and still cold, roads edged with salt dust, but hey, whatever, the 'Classic' is taxed so WTF

Only a mile or two after home
 

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Ended up doing near 200 mainly road miles ....hang in there...hang in...

Durham has some wonderful open space and the industrial archaeology adds to it...like the Dales buy less up itself.

Bev got me to stop and turn as a sheep had just had lambs as we passed, attempting to walk on giraffe like legs, beautiful
 

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Absolutely fabulous weather and amazing views right up to Carter Bar and the - at that time - barricaded border :D

Tow Law provide two hot fat butties some water and biscuits with change from a fiver :thumb
 

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And what better way to round the day off than riding the lane from Bowes over towards Tan Hill by way of dropping (eventually) onto the A684 from some spirited riding on empty roads. Gotta thank COVID and the cool weather for some things :green gri

all fine until just beyond last farm...WHAT THE FUCK is that? A gate...surely can't be locked as no signage saying route closed and this road has been here forever. Been up it in a campervan (way before that was a 'thing') me mate rode his radical hardtail chop up it it early 80s...its basically been there for ever and is 'ours'. Usually meet at least one regular road going car at some point whenever we go that way. Not now :mad:
 

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Was fuming...so many losses in recent years, but this really is a well used road and has been for eternity.

Saw a 'game keeper' on quad following us at a distance, when we stopped at this more recent sign...which in itself support the 'road' classification to my mind, he carried on past. I waved, he acknowledged (not keenly mind) but didn't stop which is a shame as I'd like to have sin what he'd say.

Anyway other end was less easy (on larger bike) to navigate, but we did. Bloody fuming. :mad:
 

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Again, no indication of change of classification at 'Tan Hill' end.

I remember when there was a proper road sign here...a direction sign for Bowes.

If it's been done illegally I hope someone can pop up with a battery grinder and jigsaw the gates...if it is legal...how so and how are gates up with no signs?


grrrrrrrrrr
 

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Hey Fritz :beerjug: how about you report it to the local rights of way officer and see what they say.
 
Hey Fritz :beerjug: how about you report it to the local rights of way officer and see what they say.

It's with TRF Tim so I guess formal approaches will be made :thumb

Mass trespass could be fun...seemed to work for the (spit*) ramblers :augie



* I am a trail rider, cyclist on and off, fell runner, climber, mountaineer....but definitely NOT a rambler
 
But you're right...once I've had another few days to stop seething I'll email, chance of contacting a real person at county is a bit unlikely

The very best outcome which could include some therapy for it to be an illegal closure and you head back up there with an angle grinder, which you'd be within your rights to do :)
 
The very best outcome which could include some therapy for it to be an illegal closure and you head back up there with an angle grinder, which you'd be within your rights to do :)

Trouble is, with that particular Lane - half of it is in North Yorkshire and half is in Co Durham
The trouble is at Co Durham end
They don’t recognise it as a ‘road’

Still, we had a good ride today on this one ....Bell End Lane

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Hopefully the TRF can sort it for you. I'm in Devon and the TRF here have a good relationship with the Rights of Way People. It's not unusual for landowners/others to put up illegal signage to put people off using legal lanes and rights of way, so perhaps that what's happened here and can be relatively easily sorted. Fingers crossed. In any event, it seems that you can show evidence of regular use which always helps.
 
Nice bit of social inclusion on new signs at top of Kepwick

Now you can drive your horse drawn carriage along drove road - too late for Prince Philip sadly

National parks - FFS :D
 

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Naturally no bias against other users AT ALL :p

drove road remains - as ever - closed :mad:

I've noticed a lot more bikes (eduros) using it over last year or so though (illegal obviously) and there appears to be a pack of arses on enduro bikes ripping round the MTB trails in Boltby wood...again entirely illegally.

Maybe that's what we're coming to :nenau
 

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Meanwhile on Rudland Rigg we are well informed


Love the use of 'track' implying perhaps its not really a road at all and fact its through a SSSI :D really, grouse moor surely...lets do a raptor count :rolleyes: (shouldn't tar all with same brush I suppose)
 

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Bit rough on VStrom, particularly the approach from Bransdale :augie

Lovely engine but no GS, miss that 21" front but some new springing all round could help I suppose.

First ride on that this year...spending too long on two feet these days :blast
 


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