Houndkirk Road has been a bone of contention for some time and it’s great to be able to report some good news at last. Ride Sheffield recently received the specification for work on the old byway for the next couple of years and it’s clear that a more minimalist approach is being planned.
Following stirling work by Steve Hardcastle and others, the redesignation of a popular bridleway to a footpath at Fox Hagg in the Rivelin Valley has been prevented.
Signs informing horse riders that it may not be suitable for inexperienced riders are to be installed.
The Blackamoor bridleway that runs down from the Stoney Ridge car park parallel with the Hathersage Road has been the subject of a winter closure for horses and cycles for the last two years. Although the winter ban was a vital experiment, in many ways it has proved to be a blunt instrument that has at times verged on illogical. For example, during March when the trail was bone dry, we were prevented from riding on it. Now, with the April showers in full swing, we are able to ride it again even though it’s a bog. Having monitored the situation, the Sheffield Wildlife Trust and the Sheffield Rights of Way Team have noticed the inconsistency and decided to trial all year round use as from next winter. (more…)
After a lot of hard work the new Mini DH track in Greno Woods is nearing completion and its looking good!
After lots of work and patience from the Wildlife Trust and a couple of moved deadlines Biketrack.org finally got into the woods at the start of the month. (more…)
Sam Beeton from SCC emailed the other day to let us know about a number of new Bridleways that have been created in the last few years that we may not be aware of.
In September 2009 Sheffield City Council (SCC) gave a notice that they wished to close 2 of the 3 bridleways which run across the Fox Hagg nature reserve near Lodge Moor. These plans were objected to by a number of different groups, so the proposal was taken to public enquiry, with Ride Sheffield putting in a combined objection with the CTC and the CPRE. (more…)
Mountain bikers have a problem, an image problem. While we see ourselves as a bunch of fun-loving free spirits, much of the rest of the outdoor community see us as gung-ho idiots who aren’t happy unless we’re mowing down senior citizens. Now, some of you might not give a monkey’s about having an image problem, but it’s fair to say that coming across as Attila the Hun on two wheels means that in the future we’ll have less trails to ride, not more. Confused? I’ll explain.
In September 2009 Sheffield City Council (SCC) gave a notice that they wished to close 2 of the 3 bridleways which run across the Fox Hagg nature reserve near Lodgemoor. These are shown on the map below as the paler red lines directly below the blue line by the Fox Hagg Nature Reserve signs. SCC claim that as there is the third remaining bridleway running from and to the same points that the other 2 are not needed. As part of these works SCC are trying to link the changes of 2 footpaths to permissive bridleways that run from the A57 snake pass to the corner on Lodge Lane and from the far end of the 3 bridleways mentioned above down to the bottom of Wyming Brook. Both of these upgrades have now been completed and are available for us to enjoy.
Several parties objected to the proposed closures in addition to Ride Sheffield, the CTC, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) and the Byways and Bridleways trust all put forward cases against SCC’s request. After a review meeting with SCC about the issue and another with the CTC and CPRE we have continued with our objections and the three parties are working together as head toward a Public Enquiry on the case. We have submitted a combined objection, the Byways and Bridleways trust have also submitted and objection and all of these are now with the inspector reviewing the case. He will visit the site this month and then make his decision as to wether the bridleways can be closed by SCC or must remain. We will announce the results of the enquiry as soon as we hear them.
If you have any questions about this matter please send us an email. Going forward Ride Sheffield will continue to oppose any other closures of Bridleways in the area and will fight for and support any requests to create new ones or upgrade rights of way.
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