Hi all
Today rode the bridle way south to north below Moel Arthur and Pen y cloddiau, with all the debate about erosion you have to it. Carved up with tractor tyres, I realise that the lambing season will soon be upon us but this ancient byway deserves mor prktection fron Denbighshire county council

Bridleways in your area any better

It’s been like that a little while now, been that way a couple of times in the past few months, first time it looked like an attempt at levelling had been done with some hardcore/stones thrown in (or dug up) two weeks ago it was a mess.

Due to the condition decided not to follow the bridleway down from the far end of Clauddiu, but take footpath, lane back towards Arthur, skirting the base of Clauddiau. Dont borher at moment, cattle being fed on actual path so badky cut up, ankle snapping hollows and at the far end access issues ariund properties and lots of lifting over styles befire gaining road
A fun day

I just stayed high up today, frozen snow, frozen ruts and thick patches of ice, being pinged from one rut to another, good fun.

Like your spell checker smartay Cant really be confident which path you were using but I know a bit about these routes. The bridleway between Moel Arthur and Pont Llundain at the base of Llangwyfan Forest, if thats what you are on about the land recently came into the control of a new tenant farmer who has indicated the need to access his land to farm it means using the bridleway which by law he is perfectly entitled to do. He initially mentioned cutting trees back which he can do and is now talking about stoning up the bridleway to be able to take his traffic without it becoming a mud bath.. something else he can not be stopped from doing. The shame of course is that instead of being an old dirt track its been for decades it will end up resembling another dull forest road something the council has been trying to avoid given the common complaints of mountain bikers at gentrification of those routes.

However as the law, which was changed in 1968, stands cyclists don’t have a right to use a bridleway they simply are not committing an offence if they do, the Councils therefore have no duty to maintain these ways to be suitable for cyclists. This means that they get no money from Government to cover the costs of maintaining routes for cyclists and with a 20% budget cut in 2015 nothing is likely to improve. Better news as far as the route from Pont Llundain to Moel y Parc – the byway skirting Pen y Cloddiau is due to have some historic drainage problems solved and some minor resurfacing with stone and ruts filling over this Spring. It may mean for a while it will look more like a stone road in places but experience shows that after a few winters and vehicles spread a bit of mud about it quickly will return to look like an old part earth road.

If you are still unhappy after reading this and live in Denbighshire feel free to write a letter of complaint to your County Councillor outlining the nuisance this causes you. I rode (or slid) around Moel Famau today and it was that icey I find it hard to believe you found any mud and quite envy you if you did. If you don’t live in Denbighshire write to the Chief Exec or the cabinet member for the environment who are the only people likely to be able to find more money for this work if they think its enough of a public issue. This goes for any Council at present as they are all looking for soft targets to cut heavily and rights of way services across England and Wales are one of the most popular target for budget cuts. There is no longer a rights of way service in Conwy for example.

tSorry headset for spel, big fingers small keyboard
The bridleway from Gronfoel, Cilcain to Moel Arthur in good condition, dont know if thats the one you mentioned thats skirts aplantation
The bridleway that runs along the Ruthin side of the range is the one in bad condition
The ankle snap area is grid ref 127685 on map 265

I don’t want to hijack this thread, but I must challenge Max’s comment:
However as the law, which was changed in 1968, stands cyclists don’t have a right to use a bridleway they simply are not committing an offence if they do…

The legislation (Countryside Act 1968) states:
30 Riding of pedal bicycles on bridleways
(1) Any member of the public shall have, as a right of way, the right to ride a bicycle on any bridleway

Fairly unambiguous, I think?

Esme.. no problem and whilst you obviously love to quote you Acts.. you might want to note the the more recent, Highways Act 1980 S329 – Further Provisions as to interpretation.
““bridleway” means a highway over which the public have the following, but no other, rights of way, that is to say, a right of way on foot and a right of way on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals of any description along the highway;
“
To fully understand the difference between as of right in the context of the Countryside Act 1968 and the later Highways Act 1980 I’d recommend browsing Sweet and Maxwells Highway Law by Stephen Sauvain. but fundamentally under the Countryside Act the right given ensures the pesky farmer is unable to clear you off his bridleway but for the purpose of maintenance the Highway Authority view the users with a right or expectation for maintenance of the way as being those defined in the definition in S329