Who owns a public bridleway?

Section 26 of the Highways Act 1980 allows a local authority (that is, a district or county council, or a unitary authority) to make an order to create a footpath or bridleway over land in their area. If there are no objections, the local authority can confirm the order themselves, so bringing the path into effect.

Is it a criminal Offence to drive on a bridleway?

It is a criminal offence to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle on public footpaths and public bridleways unless: you are the landowner; you have the express consent of the landowner; or you have a private vehicular right of way that runs along the route.

How do you divert a bridleway?

One option available to landowners is to divert public bridleways across a more convenient part of their land or across another’s land (with their consent). This can be done by a Public Path Diversion Orders (PPDO) and may enable landowners to use their land more freely.

Can I park on a bridleway?

It’s an offence to drive a mechanically-powered or motorised vehicle, such as a quad or scrambler bike, on a bridleway or restricted bridleway. It doesn’t matter if the driver has a valid driving licence and insurance — driving on a bridleway is still illegal.

What traffic can use a bridleway?

Bridleways are primarily designed to benefit horse riders although in practice they are used more frequently by hikers and cyclists, who are also allowed by law to use them. Public bridleways are shown as long green dashes on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, or long pink dashes on 1:50,000 maps.

Is it against the law to block a bridleway?

Obstructing a public right of way deliberately is a criminal offence. A bridleway or byway is a public highway, just like your local high street, and blocking public highways is against the law. Most obstructions are the responsibility of the landholder.

How many bridleways are there in the UK?

England has about 146,000km of footpath, 32,000km of bridleway, 6,000km of restricted byway and 3,700km of byways open to all traffic. Footpaths therefore form about 78% of the Right of Way network, with only the remaining 22% open to bikes (and horses). The total Right of Way network in Wales is about 33,000km.

Can you tell a bridleway from a footpath?

The first misconception is that you can recognise a footpath or a bridleway by eye, or identify them by width. In fact, a footpath or a bridleway may exist even though there is no visible path or track – and conversely, a wide, smooth track may exist without any public right of way attached.

What’s the difference between a public path and a bridleway?

The terms ‘footpath’, ‘bridleway’ and ‘restricted byway’ would be replaced by the term ‘public path’. The public would have the right to pass over all public paths on foot, on horseback or leading or driving a horse, and on a bicycle.

Can a bridleway be used as a public right of way?

To access the land for any of the latter you would need either to have the landowner’s consent or there would have to be a long established tradition of usage. If a public bridleway crosses the land the bridleway can still be used for its purpose as a bridleway.

Can a field be ploughed without a bridleway?

A bridleway may not be surfaced, and may become deeply pitted and difficult to navigate by foot. The same rule relating to ploughing of fields applies to a bridleway save that where the path crosses a field a minimum width of 2 metres must be restored.

Can a landowner obstruct a public right of way?

Keep public rights of way clear of obstructions. As the owner or occupier of land with a public right of way across it, you must: Obstructing a public right of way is a criminal offence. The highway authority has the right to demand you remove any obstruction you cause.

What’s the minimum width for a cross field bridleway?

The minimum width you need to keep undisturbed is: You should avoid cultivating a cross-field footpath or bridleway. If you have to cultivate make sure the footpath or bridleway: remains apparent on the ground to at least the minimum width of 1 metre for a footpath or 2 metres for a bridleway, and is not obstructed by crops