After the NIMBY tosh talked on this thread about bikers I've just dug out my twenty year old TRF copy of map 98 - basically the best bit of the Dales.
Interesting what is and, more importantly isn't shown as a RoW, but the TRF had researched as having vehicular rights based on historic evidence.
Without the trail riders demonstrating that these higher rights existed these would still be footpaths only - in some cases not even that. It's quite a list.
Garsdale - Cowgill over Thorn Wold
Dowbiggin - Rotgill
Frostrow - Dentdale
Masongill - Kingsadle (the "Turbary Road" - note name).
High Dyke - Cotterdale corpse road.
Widdale Foot - Mid-Widdale
Selside - High Birwith
Horton-in-Ribblesdale over Moughton Scar to Wharfe
Feizor - Little Stainforth
Feizor - Stackhouse
Settle - Long Preston (the "Coach Road". "Coach" FFS).
Settle - Hellifield
Dub Cote - Dale Head
Litton - Dale Head (by Cow Close)
Halton Gill - Yockenthwaite over Horse Head Moor. (The "official' bridleway only went halfway back in '92).
Langcliffe - Malham by Gorbeck
West Burton - Melmerby
Malham Street Gate - Arncliffe by Clowder
Malham Street Gate - Arncliffe Cote
Malham Street Gate - Kilnsey
Arncliffe - Kettlewell (considered dubious even by the TRF who exercised voluntary restraint and did not ride).
Conistone Moor
Yarnbury - Kelber
Gordale - Threshfield
Carperby - Castle Bolton
Buckden - Stalling Busk (apparently built at a cost of £210 0s 0d according to my annotation).
Marsett - Common Allotments
Cotter Riggs - Cotter End
Surprising how many of these are now taken for granted as bridleways and considered classic Mountain Biking days out. It would only have taken a NIMBY objecting to the trail riders to object to the bicycles as well and these could all have been lost to us too.
Being selfish can backfire. That is another reason I favour a more open RoW model - even in my own back yard - rather than the restricted access model, which in my experience tends to be supported by the sort of NIMBY that I'm ashamed to share a hobby with.





