Salisbury plain....a warning....

The following article is by Steve Stockley and appeared in Dorset Rover, the Club magazine for Dorset Land Rover & Range Rover Owners Club.

On Sunday 10 Nov 2002 as it was a nice sunny day and we had arranged to go green laning. Rob Godfray and 1 decided to go and see the awdc safari comp up on Salisbury plain and maybe after drive some byways, but as you do we changed our minds a bit later and decided just to explore the byways on Salisbury plain, and a jolly good time we had. We found some byways on the map that neither of us had driven before some we had driven once and lots we had driven many times.

We stopped now and then to check the map and then carried on. We saw other people out enjoying themselves and even saw a warden sitting in his Nissan patrol on the side of the track as we passed him it appeared that he was taking down our numbers but we did not take any notice as we thought that if we were doing anything wrong he would have stopped us, How wrong were we! We carried on and at about 4 o clock we decided to start heading back to the road to make our way home and decided to go via Rollestone camp. As we got to the road at Bustard inn we stopped to check and clean our lights because now it was dark and land rover lights need all the help they can get

Whilst we were saying our good byes and getting ready to set off a police car pull up. A policemen and a policewoman got out and the policeman came over to me and the policewoman went over to Rob, 1 said good evening to him and he asked me for my details 1 thought at this point WHAT HAVE 1 DONE! 1 duly gave him my details and confirmed as you do that 1 had not stolen my car then he said 'I have reason to believe that you have been driving your vehicle other than on a public right of way'. 1 said that to my knowledge we have stayed on the byways, he said that you have been seen by two people. 1 said were they in a red Frontera. He said we'll see. He then charged me and Rob and said that we would be reported. He then said that he would like us to wait for a couple of minutes for the witnesses to arrive we of course were keen to wait so we could see who needed glasses so we waited and waited and eventually who should show yes you guessed it a red Frontera but the occupants didn't come over to us they just parked down the road and the policeman went and spoke to them they then went back to their car and legged it. We were told that we had been identified as the vehicles seen and that we were free to go.

We thought that this is bound to come to nothing and went home. We were very surprised when on the 28t' Nov we received in the post a summons to Salisbury court on 11 Dec to answer charges... 15

That you, on Sunday 10 Nov did without lawful authority drive a certain motor vehicle... At grid ref 116 484 on the Salisbury plain military training area being land not forming part of a road. Contrary to section 34 of the road traffic act 1988 and the schedule 2 to the road traffic offenders act 1988.

l Was GOB SMACKED!! (So was my wife)

After a long chat with Rob and our wives we decided to plead by post The following is my reply (Robs was very similar.)

Dear Sirs

With regards to the charge of "driving other than on a road or track" 1 am pleading guilty to the charge because 1 was without doubt driving on Salisbury plain on Sunday afternoon 10 November 2002, however 1 am unable to say that 1

was exactly where the witnesses say 1 was because 1 do not have gps navigation equi . pment fitted in my car.

1 was to my limited map reading skills trying to stay on byways as

appears on OS 184 landranger map but 1 found it very difficult to read what is or is not an official byway when there are so many vehicle tracks going in all directions and the byways are not marked by any signs or posts. So it is left to the driver or navigator to best establish where you are and as to the possible direction you should or shouldn't proceed, As you know the Army use Salisbury plain to train in navigational skill as most of the area is very hard to navigate exactly where you are. As the witness says he saw myself and Mr Rob Godfray talking at one stage this would have been one of a great number of discussions that we would have had regarding the lawful direction in which to proceed. 1 would also like to point out that being 300 m away from a byway would only take approximately 1minute 10 seconds of driving at 10 mph.

When the police approached us 1 had actually stopped at thatjunction before joining the road to inspect and clean my lights before continuing my drive home. When the policeman said two witnesses had seen me driving "Off road" he did not say it was at Wrexford Hanging. 1 asked him was the witnesses in a red Vauxhall Frontera which 1 had seen on three occasions during the afternoon

in three different positions or was it the warden who we went past and had noticed that he was taking our reg numbers it was at this point that the police man said that he was waiting for the witnesses to arrive and identify our vehicles surely if the witnesses had our reg numbers and a description we should not have been held at this point waiting. During our wait the policeman said that the witnesses had been out shooting deer and this concerned me as to the direction

they were possibly shooting in.

1 would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused through my inability to navigate competently on Salisbury plain



On about the 17 Dec 1 received a letter from Clark of Salisbury court with a fine of £360.00 plus costs of £35.00 and giving me 14 days to pay. 1 am without doubt pxxxxd off with the attitude both from the Police and the courts for being so immoveable on such a trivial 300 meters in such a difficult terrain as Salisbury plain and if they think that that's another bloke who won't be coming back on to Salisbury plain they can think again 'cos Father Christmas brought me a hand held gps so that 1 can do just that. Only 1 will make sure that

1 . 1 will make sure that 1 stay on the correct tracks
2. 1 will stop and ask any wardens why are they taking down my reg
numbers.
3. 1 will say sorry when 1 accidentally run over any Red Fronteras 1 see.
4. 1 will not plead guilty but will attend court and fight.
5. And 1 will say sorry to my wife.
6. 1 will report to the police any army vehicle that 1 see driving off the tracks. Please read this as a warning as to the possible outcome to a pleasant day green laning with a friend.

1 must add that 1 do not and never have condoned the abuse of our countryside,
by anybody. Tread lightly

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Vern said:

Plenty of mud on the number plate always works for me

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Steptoe said:

The article was 4 years ago -

When you go there,and speak to the wardens, they admit to not being 100% sure themselves where the legal byways are. I always know where i'm going, honest mister .

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PS - Y2blade... It works both ways. There's a lot of bikers riding like tw@ts too.

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camel_landy said:

PS - Y2blade... It works both ways. There's a lot of bikers riding like tw@ts too.

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Pukmeister said:

Yeah, including those idiots on two stroke crossers last year during Steptoes big Plain rideout. The wardens and MOD plod were trying to catch them as they had ridden through closed off areas where fresh saplings were growing etc. with no regard.

The warden even gave us half an hour on the tank hills even though they are meant to be off-limits. I think if you behave responsibly and obey the rules you have little to worry about.

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dirtydog said:

Well, the most shocking thing about that article was the fact they saw a Frontera 'off road'

This is certaily not true, he really does need to clean his glasses. The only time you'll see a Frontera 'off road', is when it's up on a mechanic's ramp

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