DISCOVERING LOST WAYS or INCREASING THE EQUESTRIAN
NETWORK of RIGHTS OF WAY
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We all know that there simply is no comprehensive bridleway network.
But in days gone by there was, since the horse was the main means of transport.
Unfortunately because riding was at a very low ebb after the war and because riders have always had cosy arrangements with their local landowners, many ancient bridleways were incorrectly recorded as footpaths or not at all on the definitive map.
Natural England's (NE) Discovering Lost Ways (DLW) project was to use public money and manpower to help research these ancient ways and to get them back onto the map and thereby useable by today’s riders.
Most of you will have heard that DLW has been abandoned. Unfortunately NE and the Minister favour local resolution.
This is hopeless for equestrian people since we are a miss-understood minority with very little support, if not downright opposition from local decision makers.
Everything is up for grabs and it is time that we riders lobbied our
MPs and Natural England to tell them that we desperately need
bridleways now, and that leaving it to Local Authorities to negotiate
more access is futile.
It is time that the wider world than just riders and carriage drivers was made aware of the huge contribution equestrians make to the local economy and how beneficial it is to our health, both mental and physical. They need to know that we need facilities in the form of green, elongated gyms known as byways and bridleways in every community.
Catriona Cook