L a n i n g L i f e

Read about green laning as seen through Lauren ‘Sunshine’ Eaton's windscreen at The Green Lane Association, and find out what’s hot, or not, in the laning world each month. Enjoy!

Scorcher of the month

4x4 force vs gale force and floods It’s the one time even the antis don’t complain about 4x4s; when the weather turns nasty most people turn to us!

We’ve seen some serious weather throughout February, and it's caused havoc, both on and off the lanes, but while no one would suggest laning is a good idea during a torrential downpour and gale force winds, GLASS reps and members are always willing to get out there and clean up the mess!

GLASS have been inundated with reports of tree falls blocking our rights of way over the last month, and work is underway to address that, when and where possible between the monsoons. With the wet and windy weather forecast to continue for some time we’re sure that there will be plenty more work to do before spring blossoms!

There are currently 27 live projects across North Wales, Staffordshire and Cheshire - our reps and members are working hard to fight obstructions caused by the weather, overgrowth and those who have chosen to block public rights of way illegally.

GLASS member Steve Alcock and friends have been busy removing tree falls from lanes across Staffordshire and Shropshire; GLASS exec Justin Brown and friends have offered to help clear some more. At the last joint Staffordshire and Cheshire meet, and through the area

Facebook pages, we have received numerous offers from volunteers willing to help with clearance projects both in the counties and North Wales.

I’ve got so many projects and volunteers that it’s become another job to organise everyone, but what a wonderful problem to have!

Huge thanks to every single one of you!

Russell Cartlidge and co. have been busy in Derbyshire, not only leading newbie laning trips along sustainable routes, but also clearing and tidying lanes to ensure access is available for all users.

Dale Wyatt (GLASS exec and editor) has been working with other user groups at a clearance day with three GLASS members helping West Wilts Ramblers and local nature reserve guys. The RoW appears to be a lost road with no apparent rights, yet all the locals use it to walk along.

It certainly was part of the road network at some point in the past, and is signposted Footpath, but no footpath exists along it. The reward was the opportunity to drive the road, plus the fact we’ve helped keep it open for other users. It wasn’t organised by GLASS, but we were asked if we could help out and were more than happy to oblige.

Some areas have been working on water courses and crossings; our Bath and Somerset rep., Charlie Moore, reported that repairs to a ford on the byway between Inglesbatch and Englishcombe have been completed. Work involved completely replacing the causeway and railings and dredging the ford to remove a build-up of silt that was causing flood problems.

Some areas are just too wet to get out on the lanes yet.

Our Dorset rep., Rob Elliott, is readying himself for a dry

spell to get back out there and check lanes including those his local area members helped to clear prior to this recent stormy season. In the meantime, he’s been vocal in educating others on sustainable laning; that’s the thing about lanes, whatever the weather, projects never end and there is always something to do!

I’m now going to hand you over to our Essex rep., Rob Tongue, because some repair and maintenance stories are just too good not to tell!

Essex: Wimbish 98 Repairs by Rob Tongue.

Until last year the road had a winter closure on it; highways repaired it and the closure was lifted. Less than a year later it was full of potholes caused by HGV’s using the lane as a delivery route to the few houses there, one of which had been having building work done. Some of the local council dust carts have been using it as a short cut too. I was asked by the PROW dept. if I could take a look at it after they had received complaints about its condition, which led to us undertaking repairs rather than let it get to a state where they would close it again. It turned out to be an interesting day in more ways than one.

Ed Matthews (assistant rep.) and I made a start once we arrived. Shortly after, one of the local residents dropped by and mentioned that he couldn’t believe we were volunteers and not getting paid for our work! Once this section was complete, we moved to the other end and carried on with the repairs there.

A lady came out of her house and offered us a cup of coffee which of course we didn’t refuse! Whilst chatting to us, one of our volunteers came in from that end in his very dirty Discovery, and the lady immediately said, “Oh! Here they come!”

We pointed out that it was actually one of our volunteers; it was clear she was shocked at this and asked if we were all 4x4 drivers. We explained all about GLASS, and what we do, and her attitude totally changed.

A bit of education goes a long way!

We met a few more people during the day and the appreciation for what we were doing was clear to see. Also a useful contact was made with a gentleman who is involved with volunteers on community projects, who asked if they could work with us in the future.

Drain-offs dug, pot holes filled equaling one byway repaired, locals very grateful for our efforts and perceptions changed; you can’t ask for better than that. A big thanks to Andrew Metters for giving up his time to help us.

What’s hot...

Derbyshire

Hurstclough Lane (SK2182-02), an ancient byway and partial holloway, is now re-open to vehicular users after repairs were made to its surface and drainage. This took a series of consultations with user groups and a temporary closure, but we got there in the end!

Clough Lane (SK2361-02), Minninglow and Gollowlow Lanes (SK1957-04) remain under voluntary restraint. Derbyshire Highways and RoW departments are aware of the issues and once the weather improves we hope to see some work begin.

North Yorkshire Rep.

Barry Mounty has been busy working with volunteers from GLASS and the TRF clearing drainage gullies on Dead Man’s Hill. The now open drainage will prevent all sorts of water related problems in future!

West Yorkshire

The Friends of Ramsden Road group have continued their hard work and secured an agreement in principle for phase 1 of the proposed works from Kirklees council.

Part of this phase includes drainage work on private land, and the land owner is keen to use GLASS, and other volunteers, to provide the labour. Keep an eye out on the Yorkshire Facebook group and GLASS bulletin for appeals for volunteers from Alex Davidson!

Devon and Cornwall

Local rep Jim Hancock is appealing for assistance at the Ashcombe Charity Land Rover Show, which will be held on the 8th-10th May. If you’re interested in helping out contact Jim on devon.rep@glass-uk.org. This is the first time GLASS have appeared at the show, why not pop along and show your support?

Hertfordshire

From Phil Wadey, GLASS member and co-author of Restoring the Record

EC020 Green Lane, Puddephats, Flamstead, TWUID: TL0613-02 The adjoining landowner has made a s.31(6) deposit denying that any rights exist on the route at all. I asked him to correct the deposit, but he failed to respond, so I made an application for this route to be recorded as BOAT based on historical evidence.

It satisfies the list of Streets NERC exemption, preserving motor vehicular rights. It wouldn’t hurt for a little more vehicular use to be made, when it hasn’t been raining too much, so we have evidence of it later on in case it is needed. If you do get to try the route, please leave a suitable TW2 comment.

Carmarthenshire - user evidence request - lost UCR

Following recent discussions with Carmarthenshire County Council’s RoW team regarding an historic route through Crychan Forest, user evidence has been requested to confirm historical use by vehicular users.

The route starts at grid reference SN 820 390 and ends at SN 822 367. It was used by vehicles until 2008 when the Forestry Commission (now Natural Resources Wales) placed boulders to prevent access. It has been agreed that if evidence of use can be obtained then the boulders will be removed. Historic evidence has been found on ‘The Carmarthenshire Map of 1891’, and the ‘1934 Ordnance Survey Quarter Inch Map’.

Further evidence was found in the definitive statement for the area where four footpaths were described as running from ‘country road’ to ‘county road’.

If you’ve driven this road prior to 2008, and can help provide vehicular user evidence, please contact Carmarthenshire rep Andrew Hadley - carmarthenshire.rep@glass-uk.org .

What’s not...

While all this fantastic work goes on in the 4x4 world we still face biased perceptions by those outside of it. As well as working for GLASS, I volunteer with West Midlands 4x4 Response, and I am acutely aware of the fantastic work volunteers do, not only for our public rights of way network, but the community at large.

Just recently while at a WM4x4R meeting the River Wye burst its banks, the meeting was suspended and volunteers were immediately dispatched to help ferry (no pun intended) local residents to safety. Many 4x4 Response teams use our green lanes to train their volunteers, in my main GLASS area of North Wales the local 4x4R team are very active when it comes to physical driver training.

Without the work of these volunteers many people would not have access to 4x4 support during extreme weather, doctors and nurses wouldn’t have a service to fall back on to get to work in the snow, district nurses would have no one to take them on their essential rounds when the weather gets tough, and without GLASS keeping our lanes open, clear and in good repair, essential driving skills would be difficult and costly to learn.

Together we provide a bank of skilled, enthusiastic and motivated volunteers, yet sadly we often get tarred with a completely opposite image we do not deserve. A huge well done to everyone involved in the voluntary side of our community!

To those who choose not to behave appropriately in your 4x4s, think about how your actions reflect on others!

To those who think all we do is ‘churn up the countryside’, you are definitely mistaken, but we won’t hold it against you, should you ever need us we’ll still be there.

That’s all from me this month folks! Happy Laning! Lauren x GLASS Media and Communications Officer

For more information on green lanes visit: www.glass-uk.org

To join GLASS go to: www.glass-uk.org/join-glass.html