Greenlaning.

Can someone tell me how I go about finding Greenlanes and also who I contact to check that it is legal to go on them.. What do all the lists of initials mean, TOR?

Have a look on an ordnance survey map... www.bing.com has them, just choose the correct view from the list.

Nowadays, in this information rich and open society, your local council often publishes a map of the local infrastructure. This map has selectable overlays which show you the rights of way and is up to date based on the councils rights of way information.

Here is my local one in Wokingham

planaccess.wokingham.gov.uk/wokingham/pr...nteractive_maps.html

Yes, but how do you know whether or not you are allowed on them?

A By-way Open to All Traffic (BOAT) is basically an un-surfaced road, with no restrictions as far as I know.

At the end of the lane, there is often a sign:

Yellow Man Walking - Public Foot Path
Bluie Horse Shoe – Bridle Way
Red Wheel – BOAT

On the map on Bing these are represented by different line types, the one you are after is a large dash with a perpendicular line every other dash.

BOATs often get gated & locked, but what can you do with arsey farmers?

wanderinstar wrote: Can someone tell me how I go about finding Greenlanes and also who I contact to check that it is legal to go on them.. What do all the lists of initials mean, TOR?

methinks TOR is Total Offroad magazine or Total 4x4 as it is now known
Every month they do a guide to a day out greenlaning with maps and tulip diagrams - they do a different bit of the Uk each month
Last month was derbyshire

Your local council will have a rights of way officer, a call to them will give you information on TRO's/closed lanes. An ordnance survey map is still the best IMO for showing all the information.
Don't waste your time joining Glass or using Wayfarer(iirc) again IMHO.
In some circumstances you can drive an ORPA - other road for public access, again you need to clarify it locally as many can be farm access.
If you have a local club they often have meetings for the exciting pasttime of map marking!

theres also trailzilla run by memory map.

TBH the best way is find someone near to you with some experience, its a black art knowing what's open, closed, temporararily TRO'd (Traffic Regulation Order) permanently TRO'd and you can find yourself in a bit of hot water if found to be trespassing on someone's land with what you think is a ROW (Right of Way) that is driveable.
I go with a regular group of 4 or 5, we spend time planning routes, checking with ROW officers in local councils (and national park authority in Derbyshire) and I have a contact or two in each area that we go laning who is up on the latest info for that area. Ive built up this knowledge over time and unfortunately you need to do the same. Nobody will tell you where you can or cant drive as we have terrible times with people driving 'off piste' on the lanes and driving lanes that just arnt fit to be driven (i.e. a mudbath which needs leaving to rest rather than thrash your suzuki backwards and forwards through it to get muddy!)
People wont tell you where you can go as you need to check yourself before YOU drive it, dont just take someone's word for it, you may find your car taken away by the authorities.
As I said at the top of this post the best way is to find someone local to you, ideally with a similar sized car ( you cant tow out a seriously bogged down discovery with a jimny !)
Look on the forum here and other forums in the greenlaning sections, see what areas they are laning in, and politely ask if you can tag along, you'll learn more from them when stopping for a brew and a browse of a map than you will from pages of text here.
Gary

wanderinstar wrote: Yes, but how do you know whether or not you are allowed on them?

Because the map is from the planning officers definitive map. Choose the "Byways" or more correctly "Byways Open to All Traffic" (BOATS).

Do not drive "Restricted Byways" unless you are away what the Restriction is. Usually all vehicles are prohibited on Restricted Byways unless visiting a property on the RB.

Not all County Councils are as helpful, some may awell put on their websites that they detest Greenlaning and you are not welcome, however, you have a legal right and they can't change that.

As Martin says, some are exceptionally helpful though.

The old thing was that you could make an appointment to go to the County Council Offices and see the Definitive Map. Really useful when they are open Mon-Fri 9-5 when everyone has to work!

So realistically people don't go to look at the Definitive Map and have to source information from wherever they can.

Magazines like Total OffRoad (now Total 4x4) Landrover Owner Internaional and Landrover Monthly have Greenlanes featured in them monthly, showing you where they are.

OS Maps show them as red / scarlet crosses, but the maps only get updated every 10 years or so, therefore could be out of date.

UCR's are white roads on OS maps but finding ones that are not just small country roads is a case of reading and finding them in magazines or word and mouth. My Tom Tom has taken me on some, fortunately I was in the Jimny as they were quite up and down over tree roots etc.

To start with, you could just go out with your OS map and find Byways (scarlet crosses) in your area and look at it them before you drive them. If there is a clear Byway sign at the beginning, you know it;s a Byway and you are legally allowed to drive it.

Don't be afraid to contact people who have posted online about their Greenlaning exploits and ask them where they have been and for locations on an OS map etc. People will often be happy to help.

For example I have been to many lanes in my area - Essex and can say what is what and Jason (Ooky_123) plays on Salisbury Plains a fair bit.

Don't always expect to hear back from people as it can be an onerous task digging out grid references and email them on, but as I say, many people will assist.

I find Glass and Trailwise a load of rubbish and a waste of money and don't believe they represent our user group effectively. That is my personal opinion only. The Trailriders Fellowship seem far more organised and less pompous and articulate themselves better.

If you obtain possible routes when planning. Email the Rights of Way Officer for the area grid references a week or so in advance to check if those lanes are legal or not and take their advice about those which are open and legal but they would like you to steer clear to preserve them.

If you have an OS map and an email printed from the local ROW Officer saying the lane you are on is legal, you will have no issues if stopped by the Police or challenged by any other party.

Essentially just do all you can to make sure you are legally allowed where you are driving and you will be OK. Don't get involved in arguments with Ramblers, Horseriders or otherwise, give all other user groups consideration and be polite and all should be well.

I have been spoken to by Police when I have done nothing wrong and they are pleasant and just doing their job and should be commended for it - even if some are under educated.

I have been abused by horseriders who I have stopped to one side for and turned off my engine and had photographs taken of my car and registration plate. Leave them to it if it makes them happy!

GPS is useful to ensure that once you are on a lane you don't stray - going the wrong way at a fork for example. This is something I'm looking at investing in soon.

Hope my 2 penneth worth helps.

Kirkynut

Yes Kirkynut, very helpful.