If you have any concern for rights of way this should scare you silly.

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/downloads/15053

Wiltshire CC are closing rights of way to all vehicles. That looks like it includes bicycles to me.

the TRF are challenging this in the high court. My question is why are a county council restricting access at all? Who wins?

Doesn’t mention bicycles. Bicycles are not classed as a vehicle.

A bicycle is a vehicle according to the UN’s 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. The UK is a signatory of this convention. The same convention considers that the person controlling a bicycle, whether riding or not, is an operator.

More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle#Legal_requirements

looks like an “anti” traveler measure to me you’ll be fine on your bike as long as your not towing a caravan.

It doesn’t imply bicycles, it would be a key one to mention in the examples.

Now if this was posted on Facebook it would go viral, everyone would be outraged and no one would read the link,  and we’d be reminded cyclists are red light running scum:)

It actually says “for any purpose including sleeping, camping and cooking” so if you’re just riding the bike it won’t apply. Need to read the actual Order to fully understand and I haven’t time to look for it now.

Yep, anti traveller/camping measure.

Move along, nothing to see here.

anti traveller/camping measure

Currently, but our bureaucracy have a habit of mission creep and using legislation in novel ways to restrict things they don’t like. See also Public Space Orders where it becomes unlawful to ride on a highway open to motorised traffic in some towns and cities.

Should they slap a general TRO on it then it could include cycles. This doesn’t, it just stops potential over nighters. Probably a problem with travellers or camper vans.

“Wilsford cum Lake” 😯

First we had the butter mountains and now this?

Is this to stop you viewing the Stones for free?

Annoying as I use that stretch on my enduro motorbike, there are always travellers/campers up there, but better to remove just them rather than close the entire byway

Standard narrow mindedness

Yeah, the CC have fitted shiny gates at the ends/beginnings of these byways/bridleways. There are small openings to the side of them to allow access for bikes and hosses. There is a large racing stable just to the south, so I don’t think they will be banning them ( and thereby us?).

As stated above, there were a few semi permanent caravans that parked up to the north and south of SH, I guess it is to put a stop to that.  Bit of a shame really, felt like it was harking back to the days of the free festivals.

“Wilsford cum Lake” 😯

First we had the butter mountains and now this?

Excellent  🙂

Bigyinn, Sting lives there.

Just saying…

Since they closed the Shrewton road, the number of cars pulling off the 303 esp in the summer to look at the stones has become a real pain and generally really dangerous, so I’m sure that’s another consideration. Plus <span style=”font-size: 12.8px;”>I wouldn’t be surprised if English Heritage have a hand in this stopping people getting an easy free view, their guides/wardens near the Byway can be a total bunch of asshats.</span>

It has been quite amusing riding past the assorted afternoon cider drinkers that used to camp up there, but it was getting quite manky.

I really wouldn’t worry about this. Dont think your ever going to be stopped. This is more about controlling motorised vehicles in those areas, especally around the winter and summer soltice.

It gives the police the ability to move anyone on in the area.

Doubt its anything to bo with cycling

My understanding of that is you cannot enter the byway if you are going to stop for camping sleeping or cooking. Enduro bikes and bikes should be ok.

prohibition of entry to all
vehicles (which includes caravan, caravanette or like vehicles, horse box, trailer, carriage or horse
and carriage) for any purpose including sleeping, camping and cooking on Byway 11 Amesbury,
Byway 12 Amesbury (south), Byway 12 Amesbury (north) at their junctions with the A303.

But the any purpose is a bit worrying

Bikes are lumped under the same category as a horse where byways and bridleways or Rights of Way in general are concerned. #mybikeisnotahorse

Though that’s normally an annoyance in that we’re made to ride on paths unsuitable for bikes or destroyed by horses, yet banned from those that are ideal for bikes and suffer less damage riding on them (wide well bedded in footpaths), and even less damage sometimes than from walkers.

In this case though… I think the bike = horse still applies and sounds like okay so long as you’re not going to stop for camping.

Any purpose – depends if that includes passing through.

A byway that excludes vehicles including horses seems to be a reclassification of the RoW to not be a byway any more. Sounds more like a footpath.

They have been after closing that Byway for years and it went to court few years back and got stopped as they said to dangerous for motorbikes on the A303 maybe they will change they mind when the tunnel comes HA HA.