Last year some twonk used a bright spray can to scrawl BNP on trees in one of my local woods. Now that’s vandalism.

Please, all you trailbuilders, respect landowners.Do not nick stone from walls or do other damage to the environment

Agreed. There is a temping dry stone wall collapsing just adjacent to the spot I’m going to be working on. But I thought it a little unethical to help it on its way and carted my rocks in from half a mile away using buckets – ow!

Just put in a new trail at Stanmer Park – mostly moving a few leaves – and lopping the odd sapling in the way 😀 – I have a hidden shovel there – but usually just rely on a pruning saw. I love putting in trails 😀

My theory is that as long as someone in each area does a little trimming and maybe a little drainage, everything rides a little better. Sometimes by trimming a bit you can move a trail out of a boggy section.

There is a gorse lined trail over near Apperley Bridge that needs some trimmage…

If Im making a trail its not unheard of for me to fix stuff like fallen walls – not for the trail but coz it neeeds done.

I get what yer saying cheese but theres so many people that disagree about”spoiling their environment” that its very hard to be decent. Ive been moaned at for raking up leaves – ruins the ground cover was the opinion. One mans vandal is another mans trailbuilder. I agree with you about sensible trails but please dont bring the word vandal into it. Thats for neds who scrawl on walls. How can they close off woods?

I see where your coming from there but in many cases theres a bit of a balance to be maintained, in my own local woods most if not all of the trails are technically “Cheeky” that is to say the OS doesn’t seem to show any path of any sort, they’re definately marched along by the Dog walkists as well as there being some examples of rather extensive Bike trails away from the main routes the trouble comes when people build Newer, highly visible features (that look pretty dangerous to non bikers no doubt) into trails which criss-cross the main paths…

I’ve only encountered one situation in these woods where I wound up rowing with some mid-life failure over the risks to his untethered Rat-Dog from bicyles.
Other than that Walkers and Bikers seem to co-exist relatively happily, the odd Tut or glare, but very few blocked or destroyed trails, my worry is that anything too extensive and Big being built too often, will draw the attention of the landowner who will probably be more sympathetic to any whiging walkers (it only takes a couple) and might go from tolerating MTBs to banning their access…

Ive a meeting with the ranger soon so hopefully will be able to make him see sense. His attitude towards logs/branches on trails was so be it. Bit of a humpty email or two exchanged with him and it transpires hes a rider as well! Wasnt gonna show him my trails due to his dark side work but then I thought why not? – Im proud of my trails and I want him to see how sensitive Ive been. Walkers and bikes can co exist and its also one of the best reasons to build trails – to seperate bikes and people. Just hope he will see sense. I dont expect it all my way but I do expect the same consideration as others. Fingers crossed. As for banning access – I just cant get my head round that. Dont think that can happen in Scotland.

Good luck dude.

Thanks man. Keep y’all posted.