Tell us about your weekend ride

Is it private land though or is it a farmer trying to exert some power over some kind of public right of way?

I wasn't sure, so didn't try argue. Might just be the case that it's a footpath, and one's supposed to walk your bike? Really can't tell.

Do you have the location on a map? I wonder how you even find out? Did you have to open a gate to get there or something?

Ordnance survey maps are the best way to tell. Dotted red line is footpath, dashed red is bridleway.

I think technically the Three Forests Way, public footpath, goes through the church, I've been told off as well last week. The people at the other end towards Theydon Mount were a lot cheerier.

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I'd rather go around this shit to avoid conflict unless it's 'totes legal' in which case I'll spend extra time there and argue with them about it. But I'd like to know for sure either way.

It's very counterintuitive if you are coming from Theydon Mount at the bridleway takes you straight into the farm buildings and you'd have to turn left into the graveyard of the church. There is a public footpath sign coming from Tawney Lane.

These things happen, but I mean, what difference does it make to them for 50m of private farm track? FFS

Don't think it was us, but Stayer's route has been sending a lot of people this way, which probably doesn't help the mood of the owners.

Good to see some of these routes, there’s a lot of nice riding out this way.
On mobile right now so can’t post it, but the original North London Dirt route was great. Perfect for a hardtail or cross bike, some nippy single track, and two perfectly placed result points. One of the best out-back London routes i ever did.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6690931,0.172236,371m/data=!3m1!1e3

So peeps are coming from the right and going straight up their driveway instead of turning right and then doing a left turn into the church path?

Look on where’s the path 3 OS map layer, that’s the law.

The bit on the right is doable, but a bit shite this year (too many horses when the ground was soft), I usually come from the road, either north or south and turn into the farm, or vice versa if coming from the other side.

But I believe you should go through the church graveyard.

Here is the public bridleway signpost, bingo!

@hippy now you can go argue.

Opposite that is a couple of logs. Wonder if they were put there to stop groadies?

http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=207

Someone make a Strava segment out of it :)

Is it private land though or is it a farmer trying to exert some power over some kind of public right of way?

Either is possible, but if you wanted to find out, you'd have to contact Epping Council and arrange to see the definitive map. They don't seem to have it on the web-site.

https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/paths-in-england-and-wales/definitive-maps-explained.aspx

I'd rather go around this shit to avoid conflict unless it's 'totes legal' in which case I'll spend extra time there and argue with them about it. But I'd like to know for sure either way.

Yes, it's obviously not worth making a mountain out of a molehill. People are perfectly talkable-to, and, in this age of Internet miracles, even contactable:

https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?ID=338

And call it "Angry farmer log hop bway smash!"

We are not talking about the Northern border of Pakistan here.. Just some bikes going through a bridleway.

@Oliver Schick

I don't know what I'm looking at...
https://footpathmap.co.uk/map/?zoom=17&lng=0.17116&lat=51.66959

The lines don't show up here so maybe it is private. But then why is there a sign up?

Here is the public bridleway signpost, bingo!

@hippy now you can go argue.

If you want to contest something, the Ramblers have a lot of experience.

https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/pathwatch-report-path-features-and-problems.aspx

We are not talking about the Northern border of Pakistan here.. Just some bikes going through a bridleway.

You have no idea how complicated English land law cases can get. Sure, it may be an easy one in this case, but there are disputes that have been going on for ages.

Bing OS overlay. Green line goes through churchyard it seems:

https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=95a5d947-bac9-49e8-9420-000aba1e7623&cp=51.669137~0.173512&lvl=16&style=s&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

As I say, it can get very complicated. If you/Stayer/whoever contact the Ramblers, they'll probably be able to voice a hunch as to what it may be here. Quite a lot of the time, old things like rights of way simply get forgotten, for instance. Obviously, there have been a lot of cases in which landowners wanted to sabotage access. It's impossible to tell without more information.

Yes, I don't know what credibility these maps have. The map you want is the definitive map, as explained in the Ramblers link above, and by law that's held by the local council, which in this case is Epping Forest District Council. I'm sure a friendly call to the Stapleford Tawney parish council chairperson would also be informative. It may be something that's been a problem for years, for all sorts of obscure reasons.

New bike? Or is this Groot re-booted?

#angtft

I've got some other routes to try first. I've talked my way out of enough shit though, I'm sure I'll cope with a farmer.