In this thread we started to touch on where to find BOATS. Please start discussion here.

Party pooper alert! (but I know many people already know this)

Please check with a rights of way officer before you go following an OS map as some are a little out of date.

That's it, have fun.

Maybe a day out on Salisbury plain could be organised?

Plenty of BOATS in that area.

Awww, shucks! Thought for a second this was the place to put my 35' Sparkman&Stevens boat up for sale

Awww, shucks! Thought for a second this was the place to put my 35' Sparkman&Stevens boat up for sale

No, recreational offroading, not a hole in the water you pump money into.

I used to be the Rights of Way Officer for the Freelander Club, and am involved in a few Off-Road Clubs and organisations, so might be able to help.

You are only allowed to drive;

Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT's)

or

Other Routes with Public Access (ORPA's)

Prior to NERCA you used to be able to drive RUPP's, but the vehicular rights were extinguished and they bacame Restricted Byways.

Getting caught on these or any other non-vehicular route can result in prosecution or the issueing of a Sect 59 Notice. Two of the latter means your car is removed and scrapped!

Details of all these legal routes are available from your local Council's Rights of Way Dept, where they keep the DEFINITIVE Map. Some councils publish these on their web sites, (eg Kent and Wilts) others only have paper copies. For the latter you have to go with your own copy of the relevant OS maps and transpose the details. However further confusion arises as the OPRA's are listed by the Highways Dept and possibly not by the RoW Office!

Also any route may be subject to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which can do various things, from completely closing a route to stipulating dates it may be used, and by what. Any route subject to a TRO must have signs on it (often only A4 sheets of paper) and the details must have been published in the local area's press. Again details may be listed on the Council's web sites, or available by phone enquiry. Some Council's are better than others!!

In general the publication on open Forums of routes, complete with map references etc,is frowned upon. The "sport" of green laning, for that is what it is called, is not liked by certain elements of our society, especially the vociferous Ramblers Assoc, plus there is an element of 4x4 owners who don't care where or how they drive. On those grounds I would ask people not to give details.

I am more than willing to provide advice about routes and their possible legality, but would prefer this to be done under the PM system. All I require is the start and finish MR's, plus the 2 leters of the 100sq km area, so SO 123 456 for example. I will not specify the suitability of any route for the Yeti, unless I personally know it, and state here and now that any route given details is driven totally at your own risk.

Now, where would you like to go?

wow - we have an encyclopaedia in llanidloes .....

Now, where would you like to go?

Thanks Graham! We need to decide on a date I guess and a where. James has long been suggesting he lead a trip to the Salisbury plains.

wow - we have an encyclopaedia in llanidloes .....

Not quite, George, just someone who is a member of the right Assoc's and wants to keep everything legal,safe and correct.

Hope everything is OK with you. There is a "water of life" here if you need it!

Thanks Graham! We need to decide on a date I guess and a where. James has long been suggesting he lead a trip to the Salisbury plains.

Actually, Johann, what I meant was send me some details and I'll see what I can find out.

I still have a thought about another Welsh Adventure, but every long weekend I have off between now and October has been booked, so it is going to have to wait.

Not quite, George, just someone who is a member of the right Assoc's and wants to keep everything legal,safe and correct.

Hope everything is OK with you. There is a "water of life" here if you need it!

Actually, Johann, what I meant was send me some details and I'll see what I can find out.

I still have a thought about another Welsh Adventure, but every long weekend I have off between now and October has been booked, so it is going to have to wait.

I might be tempted to spend the money on the ferry to participate.....I'm fresh out of Marmite anyway, and as the stuff has been banned here (foods with added vitamins not approved !!!!) I need to source a supply to be smuggled in.

I'm fresh out of Marmite anyway, and as the stuff has been banned here (foods with added vitamins not approved !!!!) I need to source a supply to be smuggled in.

Oh and I bet you want some illegal Red Bull too?!?!

Actually, Johann, what I meant was send me some details and I'll see what I can find out.

OK thanks Graham... but in this instance I think James knows the area better than I to know what to ask! Or where to go.

Oh and I bet you want some illegal Red Bull too?!?!

OK thanks Graham... but in this instance I think James knows the area better than I to know what to ask! Or where to go.

I live and travel across the plain most days......amd I wouldnt have.a clue where to go :-)

How refreshing to see some responsible comments about off roading. Never saw the appeal myself, even though I have to do quite a bit to get to my best fishing spots, including 4 miles down a BOAT. Some other tracks near where I live - N York Moors were appallingly (and illegally ) abused by some idiots in pumped up Discoveries etc. I am not normally a supergrass but I did report one Gypsy (looks like Land Rover but isn't ?)owner who was turning a bridleway into a rutted bog with his silly antics.

I would be interested in a trip on the Plains.

How refreshing to see some responsible comments about off roading. Never saw the appeal myself, even though I have to do quite a bit to get to my best fishing spots, including 4 miles down a BOAT. Some other tracks near where I live - N York Moors were appallingly (and illegally ) abused by some idiots in pumped up Discoveries etc. I am not normally a supergrass but I did report one Gypsy (looks like Land Rover but isn't ?)owner who was turning a bridleway into a rutted bog with his silly antics.

Well done for reporting them.

The consensus of opinion by the more responsible greenlaning fraternity is that the more that get reported the better. Certainly in Wales there is a good relationship between CRAG (Countryside Recreational Access Group, http://www.crag-uk.org/) and the Police, where we have worked together in areas known problems.