if you ride regularly in the Peak District, would you be interesting in this footpath across windy knoll (it links the end of Dirtlow Rake with Mam Tor) being made into a permissive bridleway? I was speaking to the High Peak Estate area manager form the National Trust about it and he said he would put it to the ROW officer if their was interest. It is a semi paved farm track and would provide a diversion avoiding the (all be it short) dangerous junctions at the top of Winnats Pass and the entrance to Peak Cavern. I also suggested that the diversion continue through the car park and up the pitched path (this would be a dismount and push affair is and shared with a lot of walkers).

I know it’s only a short section but it would cut out a nasty bit of road.

Any interest/suggestions etc?

Mike

whenever I get there the pull of Rushup is too strong to ignore 🙂

yes, this would link you to Rushup edge nicely

yes definitely

Every extra bit we can ride legally has got to be a good thing in my book.

Yes sounds like a good idea

Well, is it a matter of, “Is it a good idea?”, or, “Will you ride it?”

it’s a matter of is it a good idea. people will ride it, even if remains a footpath. making it permissive for bikes keeps the red sock brigade off our backs

simon i ride it anyhow

Yes, saves going down a road hill to come back again and quickish. Shame about the gates though.

i also ride it, but making it legal would only help the cause

yes..

I ride that anyway.. its a well surfaced landrover/farm track isn’t it.

Yes, ride it already. Legally would be good too.

yes, anything that improves legal access in the peak is good, just looked this one up and i may be guilty – thank you
and you are forgiven for excluding those who need more fibre and working up us (me?) [pedant]Peak riders{/pedant]

and again thanks

Yep, show me where to sign..

Any more track made legal has to be a good thing! Please please try to keep off footpaths, we need people on our side. I know there shouldn’t be ‘sides’
but some people don’t need an excuse to try and stop us using ‘our’ tracks.

I’m definately guilty of riding it to avoid the pointless road section. I’d love to be able to ride it legally. I’m also guilty of riding through the car park, up the steps and along the paved path. I do give way to walkers though, it is their track, not mine. Where do we sign/who do we petition etc etc?

Spoke to the National Trust manager again at the weekend. There has been a very positive reaction to the proposal, the ROW officer is a mountain biker himself. The proposal has to go through the ROW forum and this is where the redsock brigade may object.

It’s unlikely that it will extend up the field to mam nick or throught the car park though, there are erosion/volume of foot traffic problems.

the county council has made improvements to the road junction past the car park to improve visibility

Yep we always use it.

yep, have used it and think its good idea.

Not wanting to bash the NT, but how ahve you convinced a NT warden? Our local one is dead set against MTB’s, although he was impressed by my new lights when i bumped into him one night.

Yes please. As the only legal approach from mam-nick direction would be right turn off a national speed limit road you might want to prepare an answer to that one. Of course most riders prepared to ride it currently most likely take the grass or car park lead-in instead.

Not sure what semi-paved means. It’s half double track, half stoney grassy track.

thisisnotaspoon – i wouldn’t tar all NT wardens with the same brush, i’m sure there are good and bad.

shall we say that this particular NT employee has been forced to take an interest in mountain biking by a family connection 😀

yeah i ride it (steadily) anyway – so all good in my book