Quick access question for you all. I know we're not allowed to ride on footpaths (short green dashed line on OS maps), and should stick to bridleways (long green dash), but what's the deal with the short black dashed line? Are they fair game, or do they fall under a footpath?
What does the key on your map say?
Permissive footpath or bridleway?
Rather helpfully, it just says "path"
It also says 'not necassarily rights of way'
Which means it's fine to ride so long as you don't get caught 🙂
We've been doing that on footpaths for years 😀
I've just got something in mind that I could do with a solid answer to...
The OS 'path' just means it's a path. They have no idea what it is - it won't be anything official just a path, so go take a look. May or may not be rideable/public access/death on a stick.
If it's in an area heavily ridden post a link up someone on here might know but you'll struggle for a definite answer unless you ask the landowner.
Ta. It's rideable, looks mint, and has easy public access.
Black lines means there is something physically there on the ground - they're usually fairly well-defined - but not a right of way (they're often in access land so fair game to walkers but not cyclists - yet - sadly).
Green (on 1:25k - red on 1:50k) lines mean there's a public right of way (either on foot or horseback/bike/foot depending on the size of the dashes) but there may or may not be a physical path on the ground. Sometimes there is, sometimes there's just a right of passage across open ground with little to show for it!
Quick access question for you all. I know [s]we're not allowed[/s] we don't have the legal right to ride on footpaths
It's a small difference, but my understanding is it is the difference.
Yeah, black line is a track/path visible/existing on the ground, but with no right of way assigned to it. So if its access land you're fine, but dogs may be banned depending on the restrictions on the access land.
That said if its a track connecting 2 BWs, and it's remote, I'd be tempted to give it a punt until someone asked me not to, common sense allowing.
Quick access question for you all. [s]I know we're not allowed we don't have the legal right to[/s] we don't have an officially recorded legal right to ride on footpaths
Pedantic intervention, as the status is without prejudice to any higher rights which may exist
Ninfan has it right, we don't have the rights to footpaths, but that does not mean that we are not allowed to ride them, it's certainly not illegal. All it means is that if the landowner owner, or agent thereof, askes you to leave, the you must. If you have the right to be there, then the law is on your side, not the landowners.