LANING LIFE

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!

The ABCs of laning…

Here's the second installment of my A-Z of laning for those new to the hobby, hopefully some of the old hands will get something from it too. Without further ado, I bring you N-Z… part 2

N - The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act

I could write an essay on NERC, it was singularly the most catastrophic event in the 2006 (NERC) history of green laning! While I won’t go on to explain the whole act and its implications to our hobby, here are the basics: - RUPPs (roads used as public paths) were all extinguished. The Countryside Act 1968 required all highway authorities to reclassify the RUPPs in their counties as footpaths, bridleways, or byways. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 set a time limit of 2026 (often known as path extinguishment day), but NERC brought that deadline forward twenty years and insisted restricted byways replaced RUPPs, this removed vehicular rights from huge numbers of lanes .

- Some authorities neglected or were very slow to carry out their duties under the 1968 act and had not yet reclassified many of their RoWs, others were more proactive, but in total we lost approximately 65% of our green lanes nationwide, in some areas up to 95% depending on how much work each authority had done at that point.

- Modification of the Definitive Map became almost impossible unless an application for BOAT status had been made prior to the act coming into force on 2nd May 2006. This means that the vast majority of byways identified as having historical vehicular rights cannot be added as a byway, merely a restricted byway, which we cannot drive.

- The 2026 deadline for changes to the Definitive Map still exists, but we cannot hope to add a significant number thanks to NERC.

O - OS Maps and ORPAs

Other routes with public access (ORPAs) are clearly defined in the legend of all OS maps with an accompanying explanation. Well, when I say clearly, “The exact nature of the rights on these routes and the existence of any restrictions may be checked with the local highway authority. Alignments are based on the best information available.”

The ORPAs laners are interested in those with vehicular rights (UCRs), but those marked on OS maps do not all carry vehicular rights. In fact ORPAs are rather vague in all aspects of OS mappery. This is a quote from OS in answer to a freedom of information request put in by our IT and Membership Officer:

“The methodology used to collate the data in respect of the ORPAs was to send a Small Scales Field Reviser (SSFR) to visit Highways Authorities, Land Charges Departments and Rights of Way Departments in England and Wales, to view their street mapping charts. The SSFR took the publicly accessible routes from these charts which were of various qualities and sources, some were in digital form and some were on paper. We did not visit all areas, for example metropolitan areas were not investigated as we do not have room to show ORPAs on our mapping in these areas. At each visit the SSFR made a decision as to which routes were suitable for Ordnance Survey to show, to serve the purpose of the exercise. There were two rounds of these visits made in approximately 1995-97 and 2000-01. The only documentation used in this process was an OS Landranger Map, on which the extent of each ORPA was marked. Once this information was transferred into our system these OS Landranger Maps were discarded. You must note that the collection was never fully comprehensive and there is no formal update mechanism in place to maintain currency.”

So, basically an officer went around collecting information however accurate it was or not, they didn’t cover all areas, then the officer decided which routes were important enough for OS to map, the information was never comprehensive, the last collection took place in 2001, and there is no procedure for keeping that information up to date.

I hope that clears things up!?

I have a serious OS map collection and a life-long love of their maps, but when it comes to laning the information they contain is far from comprehensive or up to date, and always needs checking!

P - Postcodes In a word – useless!

Attempting to find the start point of a lane with such a vague identifier that could potentially cover a large area isn’t going to be easy, and it certainly isn’t going to be accurate. As most lanes are located in rural areas a postcode could cover the whole village and roads leading into that village; potentially several square miles, and lane entrances are not always obvious!

Q - Quick as necessary, as slow as possible

Ok, the saying usually goes, “as slow as possible, as fast as necessary”, but that didn’t fit the format, and Q is an awkward letter! Laning is a slow hobby, sometimes excruciatingly so when you’re navigating narrow or technical sections, although occasionally a little bit of speed is necessary to ensure you don’t become bogged down or you make that hill climb.

The best drivers make it look effortless, no bouncing off the limiter, no unnecessarily spinning wheels, smoke belching and mud flinging. Reading the road ahead constantly, and applying just the right amount of throttle to pass the next point is a skill, and one many lack. What some think looks impressive is often an example of a lack of talent, rather than the macho display they believe it to be. Even on fairly gentle terrain, driving at high speed off tarmac can and will wear component parts far more quickly than on a smooth surface, it can also cause mechanical failures.

Picking your line, reading the terrain, knowing the capability of your vehicle, having the correct tyres fitted, good clutch control (if applicable) and understanding how surfaces drive in the dry and wet will get you far further than pointing your vehicle at an obstacle and sending it ever will.

There are other considerations too - pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, livestock and wildlife all need to be considered as much, if not more so, than getting home under your own steam. No one really cares (although you will!) if you end your day out early due to damaging your own property, but damaging the lane surface, potentially putting others at risk, or taking out a farmer’s animal is a very different matter. Criminal damage, dangerous driving, and driving without due care and attention are just as enforceable on green lanes as they are on tarmac.

R - The Road Traffic Act 1988

As green lanes are public roads the act applies as much as it would on the M6, M25, or A55. A road legal vehicle, tax, MOT, insurance, seat belts, child seats, dog harnesses, speed limits and all other considerations we take for granted when driving on tarmac apply when laning too.

S - Sat Navs

We’ve talked about postcodes not being useful, well I’m afraid neither are sat navs. There is no device or app that you can just plug in, turn on and effortlessly follow while being sure that you’re driving legally, or that will give you access to half the lanes with current vehicular rights.

Apps like Viewranger do have routes you can download, but compared to the total number of lanes in the UK they cover probably less than 10% of them. They’re also not updated when restrictions and closures happen, nor do they tell you what to expect when you get there! Lanes can vary from a gravel track a Fiat 500 could navigate easily, to lanes like Horseshoe (The B’stard), which isn’t something you want to end up on by accident if you’re looking for a nice scenic bimble in the countryside! Research is needed even if you download a ‘ready-made’ route.

Oh, and another S - Smile and Wave

While you’re out don’t forget to smile and wave at passers-by; smile even more if they’re miserable!

T - Trailwise2

Trailwise is the culmination of 25 years of GLASS’s research into the UK’s network of unsurfaced vehicular rights of way. It is a planning tool, a record of usage, a guide for other users and is currently the most comprehensive guide to green lanes there is - that’s genuinely not just me saying that because I’m GLASS PR; it really is!

It is also why I joined GLASS back in 2013, although at the time we were still using TW1 . I joined, I got access and I had a lot of fun! TW2 is a different beast entirely to the original version, and has recently received even more great updates since its initial release.

For those who have never seen it, it is a map of the UK with all the lanes marked on it, but it is a lot more than that too. There are 7 base layers including 3 historic maps, 1:50,000, and 1:25,000 OS maps, aerial views, and a layer to denote each highway authority boundary. BOATs are marked in red, UCRs in blue, closed/ restricted/obstructed lanes are marked with an exclamation mark so you can avoid them. If you click on a lane an information box appears, click ‘details’ for user comments, photos or to add your own. There are tools to measure a line, take a grid reference, a drag and drop facility that allows you to drop your GPX routes onto the map and check it against the information available. It also has GPS location, and can be used on any device that is connected to the internet; it takes a huge amount of time and effort out of researching your routes.

U - UCR (Unclassified County Roads)

We covered byways in the last issue, but the majority of the lanes in the UK are UCRs. These fall under the remit of the local highways authority, and do not appear on the definitive map but instead on the List of Streets. On an OS map they will be marked as ORPAs (see above). UCRs, just like BOATs, are legal to drive unless there are any current restrictions in place.

V - Voluntary restraint (VR)

A bit of a contentious one this! A voluntary restraint is exactly what it sounds like; we voluntarily avoid using a lane despite no official/ legal closure. VRs are used for a variety of reasons:

- To show goodwill to the local authority - we as drivers can see this lane is not suitable to use right now (maybe during the winter, or due to a maintenance issue), so we will respect that and avoid it until circumstances change. This can go a long way to changing perceptions of us as vehicular users, and building relationships with local councils and land owners.

- To avoid legal closure - this is a big one. A TTRO can be put in place for a maximum period of 18 months, but there are lanes that have been closed for years after several extensions - Swan and Limers Rake are two well known examples. Once a closure is legal (even if it is temporary) it becomes a legal issue to get it removed. Some local authorities will use TTROs effectively, we’ve seen this with Strata Florida recently - a TTRO was enforced and then immediately removed once work was complete, but not all authorities are as proactive. A VR can be immediately used and/or removed, it costs nothing to apply/remove, users maintain their rights, and there is no risk of a lane becoming bogged down (no pun intended) in legal red tape. Sounds good right? But, it also means that while the lane shouldn’t be driven, it is still legal to do so, and many will continue to just that. This can hamper maintenance work, relationships with the local authority and local residents, and cause more damage to a route that already needs attention. Choosing the ‘right’ method of closure really does depend on the lane and surrounding politics. VRs have not worked on Happy Valley and the Wayafer unfortunately, so the latter is now under TTRO, and it is likely HV will follow suit.

- To maintain some control - Some local authorities are not very 4x4 positive. Once we dip our toes into legal closures we can get sucked under, and we then need to spend time and money on trying to dig ourselves out. With a voluntary closure we never lose our rights, we make the decisions, but that only works if we make sensible and responsible ones while a VR is in place.

W - Way markers

Unlike tarmac roads not all byways and UCRs are signposted. Some may even have footpath and/or bridleway signs, but also still maintain vehicular rights. We at GLASS do try to waymark as many lanes as we can, but doing so requires permission from the local authority/land owner which isn’t always forthcoming, and with 20,000 lanes in the UK it’s a big job!

Don’t expect all lanes to be obvious, some may look like field entrances or simply a field, some may be significantly overgrown, some go through farm yards, even directly through cow sheds. If you’re not sure before entering check your location using GPS, or the old fashioned way with a map and compass (yes, people do still use them!). If you’re still not sure, don’t drive it, trespass is illegal! Ask your local GLASS rep for more information on the lane.

X - x marks the spot

The easiest way to plan a route is to plot it on an app. Most people tend to use Viewranger (GLASS members get a discount). Once a route has been input it can be dragged and dropped onto TW2 to check the legality and terrain, then followed using GPS. Although it doesn’t work as well as a sat nav, it’ll get you there. Another popular option is Memory Maps.

Some people drop pins on Google Maps at the start of every lane. This works for the most part, but be aware that the lane entrance won’t show on the map, it will on street view which is handy for more accurate pin dropping. There are some lanes that are not visible on the ground, I found one in Gwynedd only last week, and another in Shropshire the week before, this is where only having a start point isn’t always a good idea!

Thankfully 99% of lanes are obvious once you’ve started, but many do have forks or cross roads to choose from part way along so make sure you know which direction to choose!

Recording routes on apps like Wikiloc is great, that really does work like a sat nav. Ok, so you have to drive the route first, but once recorded it will direct you from home and around your route, you can even add way points and pics for others to see, or to remind yourself. When recording remember to start the app in the first place, and to pause when having lunch; I forget to do both regularly! If using other people’s Wikiloc routes always check current legal statuses before you drive them!

Y - Y chromosomes are not essential equipment

Just saying! I think I prove this point! Although I do love how antis believe laners are all macho alpha male types.

Z - Zzzzz

Laning is tiring! As someone who takes out newbies quite often, I usually plan to be driving from 10am to 4pm with inexperienced drivers, with a lunch and brew break or two. Sometimes we’ll go on longer, it really depends on how the day goes and how each driver fairs, but one thing is for sure - mistakes happen when you’re tired.

Driving off tarmac, getting in and out of your vehicle to open and close gates, navigating technical sections and the route itself (that may not always be easy to follow), maybe even being nervous (or terrified occasionally), all makes for a tiring day even if you don’t have to deal with problems like getting stuck or breakdowns. Remember you’ll need to drive home too!

I never have a rigid plan when I go out, I’ll identify far more lanes than I expect us to drive so we’re never short, but usually we drive fewer than I realistically expect us to manage. If I’m out alone I’ll get a lot done and drive for longer.

With experienced laners we’ll manage most lanes and a longish day, with newbies I expect to drive half of the lanes over a shorter driving day, and with my usual crowd - well, our trips tend to be the most random ventures out and they include a lot of social time, cooking and eating, brew making, playing with dogs, and copious amounts of Jaffa Cakes and laughter. In these cases it’s more about enjoying the day than ticking off the miles and the lanes driven, and those are usually the best days out.

That’s all from me this month folks. If you have any suggestions for topics for me to cover in future columns please let me know on lauren.eaton@glass-uk.org and I’ll be happy to oblige.

Happy laning, Lauren x