Eastern Moors Latest

There have been two very successful Eastern Moors meetings recently.  The first, attended by our very own Adam Wiles, looked at Wimble Holme Hill bridleway and Moss Road.  The former is a real love/hate trail where success makes you grin and failure makes you grrrrrrrrrrr.  Over the years, it’s popularity has resulted in a number of nasty looking ruts that render it all but impassable to horseriders.  After looking at the problem, Danny Udall and the Eastern Moors partnership team suggested to the user groups that the trail should be resurfaced and some buttressing carried out to prevent the trail disappearing down the hill.  There are also a couple of places where the trail is particularly narrow that could be cleared to provide passing places.  While this is obviously going to reduce the technical difficulty, it would seem to be a workable compromise.  As for Moss Road, the plan is to deal with the enormous bomb holes caused by 4×4 use in the past and resurface some of the muddiest areas.  The southern end where the 4×4 damage is still pretty much visible from space will be landscaped and two trails constructed, one for walkers and one for bikes.  There’s probably going to be a need for volunteer input in the future so watch this space.

Sue Duke and I went along to the second meeting which focused on Big Moor, Barbrook Valley, Curbar Edge and Froggatt Edge.  Plans are well advanced to upgrade a number of trails to permissive bridleway status, making a new Eastern Moors mega-circuit a real possibility.  A new bridleway over Totley Moor will lead to the Owler Bar/Fox House road and on to Big Moor.  An existing track down the Barbrook Valley will give access to Ramsley Moor, quiet roads and finally onto Baslow Edge.  The next part of the jigsaw is to open the track that runs along Curbar and Froggatt Edges to bikes and horses.  It’s important to remember that these will be permissive bridleways that can revert to footpath status at any time should the landowner deem it necessary so we need to be on our best behaviour.  It’s fair to say that part of the walking fraternity will take a dim view of the changes so it’s crucial that we prove to all the other user groups what friendly, responsible people we are!  Should you need any further info, contact me through Farcebook or throw things at me when you see me out riding….

I hope this works!  The following link should be to a map showing the proposed changes….

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=206008473308135420983.0004c868ae4d8b3938d38&msa=0