Coming from the south this evening I found the bridleway heavily gated and padlocked…no hint of explanation, no notices etc. I retreated to the car park and found a new bridleway down to the bridge and at that end is an East Sussex CC notice dated November 2010 saying they’ve authorised this diversion and closure of the old route and I’ve got 6 weeks to appeal this at the High Court. Except now I haven’t because the six weeks are well over.

I ride this track once every two weeks on average although two weeks ago I had a mechanical and cut this section out of my ride in order to limp home by a more direct route. Even so I rekon I’ve ridden it about five or six times since December 2010 and I never saw any notices posted up to warn me of this. I noticed they smoothed out the two or three drop offs on the old track but nothing else.

Anyone else ride this regularly…..

Did you see any of their notices?

Have they pulled a flanker here???

Didn’t think that off road riding was allowed in AShdown Forest because of the idiots who make the rules up over there 😕

Drive across Ashdown Forest every weekend, would love to ride it, tried once 10+ years ago but got chucked off by ranger, might organise a protest ride or night ride if I can be bothered or wasn’t injured. Mind you very thorny and sandy on Ashdown, probably pants anyway.

http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/yourcouncil/pressoffice/pressreleases/2010/09/pr2943.htm

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/news/Visitors-famous-bridge-easier-journey/article-2697479-detail/article.html

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/news/Upgrade-agreed-year-row/article-2678805-detail/article.html

Actually…it’s good riding…I only ever bother after dark on the illegal bits but there’s loads of it and it’s as good as it gets in the SE

I’d love to do a critical mass off road job sometime over the forest just to shoove two fingers up at the 1974 Ashdown Forest Act and the Double Us who jealously guard it.