Harewood Forest nr. Andover, footpaths

I’ve been riding in this forest since I was a kid. It’s the largest wood around and probably the best place to go for a quiet ride away from any roads.

According to the OS map, all of the accessible tracks in the forest are footpaths, but half of these footpaths are wide concrete covered roads (Built during the war) now giving access to forestry and farm vehicles. Away from the concrete many of the tracks are rutted by the land owner’s vehicles and the smaller tracks churned up by horses. So at this time of year I stick mainly to the concrete if possible.

Earlier this week it stopped raining for a bit and I went out to Harewood for a ride. Conditions were very boggy, but at least the sun was out. In the field alongside one of the footpaths I came across a pheasant shoot. I tried not to get in their way and passed them slowly, but was stopped by someone I assume was in charge.

He said I couldn’t ride on the footpath, or ride anywhere in the forest at all. He said they were very strict on it. The thing is I wasn’t even on the footpath at that stage as their shooting party had blocked it by parking about ten 4×4’s along the length of it, absolutely destroying it in the process. To avoid an argument I apologized and carried on with my ride, promising not to do it again.

I accept that bikes do more damage to these paths than people, but when you’ve got 4×4’s and farm vehicles creating 12 inch water filled ruts, any damage a bike can do is irrelevant.

I’m now wondering what they can do if they catch you riding there, because if I give up riding on my local country tracks I might as well give up riding altogether, or get a bloody road bike :(. Has anybody here been told not to ride on these sort of tracks? Did you carry on riding?

Ooops, that’s happened to me in that forest. Was holding a gps cos I knew that we were lost but couldn’t get a signal funnily enough! It was pouring with rain too.

Bloke in RR accepted our apologies and directed us to the footpath as we were walking.

You have to respect that it’s somebody’s property at the end of the day.

From experience, the access in Harewood is unfortunately rather restricted, even though the Test Way cuts through it, all due to being part of a Sporting Estate….

Yea looks like all footpaths to me, ive run round there to check out mtb potential but couldnt find much anyway.

http://www.rowmaps.com/search.php?matchpn=harewood+forest&council=any

I know there are plenty of tracks that are off limits, but I wasn’t lost. I was just following the footpaths.

This guy was telling me that they won’t stand for anyone riding bikes through the forest at all. Whether they’re on a public footpath or not.

If you want to go to ‘Tree Runners’ (The Go Ape type place in the forest), you have to take your car as they don’t allow bikes on the footpaths. It’s just ridiculous. I don’t think it’s anything to do with damaging the paths, I think they’d ban walkers if they could.

you just have to accept that some areas just dont want bikes spinning around whilst they walk their dogs, horses and have free roam to shoot stuff, or maybe just like their forest the way it is.
move on i say, not worth the hassle

That’s the problem, there’s nowhere to move on to. It’s the only decent bit of forest around here and I’m not a fan of sticking my bike in the car to drive out to places. I just don’t have the time, I need something local.

If you cross the Test then there’s plenty of tracks around there. May I mention the excellent cafe at Barton Stacey, it’s located within the village stores but I sit outside. Don’t bat an eyelid at filthy mountain bikers either cos they’re used to farmers etc. going in there.

Guess you’re only other option is to head towards the Northern Test Valley. Collingbourne Woods will obviously be grim, does it ever dry out? 🙂

You say you weren’t lost, that you were on the footpaths. You do realize that you’re not not allowed to ride in public footpaths don’t you? Looking at the map there isn’t any public right of access for cycling in the forest. If the landowners are going to enforce this then you’ll just have to accept it.

Our local woods has few bridleways and many footpaths, even more simple paths. They tend to put signs up with shoot dates asking people to stick to the ROW. Does yours do this? I’d certainly be avoiding the place if there was a shoot on, and otherwise carry on as normal.

Looking at the map there isn’t any public right of access for cycling in the forest. If the landowners are going to enforce this then you’ll just have to accept it.

He can also carry on what he’s been doing, causing no trouble for decades, then take the consequences if caught.

Richpenny, yes he could carry on as ye has done for years. Just don’t complain about it if yoy get kicked out. He also said”I know there are plenty of tracks that are off limits, but I wasn’t lost. I was just following the footpaths”. This suggests he maybe doesn’t realize that the footpaths are off limits as well.

It’s the only decent bit of forest around here and I’m not a fan of sticking my bike in the car to drive out to places

Why not just ride out to Collingbourne Woods. Very easy to get to off road without getting in a car and you can do a nice 40 mile loop.

I’m now wondering what they can do if they catch you riding there, because if I give up riding on my local country tracks I might as well give up riding altogether, or get a bloody road bike

Why not get a road bike and come out with the Andover Wheelers during the winter and dry trails during the summer. We cater for all abilities and we’re all very friendly. 😀

The lack of mountain biking in Andover was why I ended up with a road bike….

The lack of mountain biking in Andover was why I ended up with a road bike….

When a man is tired of the Plantations, etc…

😀

I’ve been chased off there as well – year before last I think it was

I work during the week in Tidworth and stay in Andover. I consider myself fantastically lucky because of the great mountain biking within a stone’s throw of either town. I don’t know much to the east of Andover but there’s masses to the north west and the whole of Salisbury Plain not far away. There’s real variety too from fast flinty farm tracks through to technical singletrack climbs and speedy descents. There really are huge numbers of bridleways out there that don’t get churned up by horses.

The guys from Behind The Bikeshed run mtb rides (see their Facebook page or call them) and are a good group to head out with.

Tis a real shame its private, it’s a good big bit of woodland but unfortunately pheasants are more important, gorrick nearly got a race in there until the game keeper stuck his nose in.

Thanks to all that suggested alternative places to ride. If it ever stops raining I’ll take a look at these places.

Our local woods has few bridleways and many footpaths, even more simple paths. They tend to put signs up with shoot dates asking people to stick to the ROW. Does yours do this? I’d certainly be avoiding the place if there was a shoot on, and otherwise carry on as normal.

No, no signs where up. The problem is they hold the shoot on the rights of way, so even if you’re walking through the forest you’re going to have to walk straight through their shoot. They should close the rights of way altogether really, but that’s not going to happen as long as they continue to get their grant money.

You say you weren’t lost, that you were on the footpaths. You do realize that you’re not not allowed to ride in public footpaths don’t you?

Yes, I think we all realise that. I wasn’t riding through a town centre dodging pedestrians, I was in the middle of a forest. I doubt there’s a MTB rider here that hasn’t ridden on a country track marked as a footpath. In fact some of the alternative locations suggested on this thread include footpaths.