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<< News >> Bikes banned from Iron Age trail

Submitted by coldrum on Friday, 22 July 2005  Page Views: 5473

Iron Age and Later PrehistoryCountry: England County: Oxfordshire Type: Ancient Trackway

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Cars and bikes are being banned from part of a delicate prehistoric trail for seven months of the year to prevent any further damage being caused. Two areas of Oxfordshire's Ridgeway, an Iron Age track, will be closed to motor vehicles from October until April. There were concerns that trail-bikers were churning it up.

Oxford County Councillor Roger Belson said: "The Ridgeway is one of Oxfordshire's treasures. It needs to be protected from damage."

Bikes seized

The ancient chalk ridge route, used by prehistoric man, runs across the Chilterns and the Wessex Downs.

The restrictions are in place west of Wayland's Smithy in the Vale of the White Horse, at Lattin Down above Wantage and a section from Britwell Salome to the A40 at Lewknor.

It follows a temporary ban last winter.

Bikers found in those areas face a fine and possible prosecution.

Others found in areas outside the restrictions but causing a nuisance face having their motorbike seized.

Source: BBC News

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"Bikes banned from Iron Age trail" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Saturday, 25 July 2015
I am unable to walk very far as I am disabled , so what this is saying is that I am banned from seeing this fine land we live in and I am disgusted with this
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Thursday, 02 August 2007
i would just like 2 draw your attention 2 the code of conduct resposable 4x4 drives abide by you can view this on the landrovernet.com forum as u will see we all have the same aim in our sights to protect the enviroment on behalf of the responsable 4x4 off roaders i hope you will not persicute us for the actions of law brakers
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Tuesday, 16 May 2006
If modern life really is in such a parlous state, it perhaps isn't surprising that some have started to hark back to the past, to that apparent golden age before there were mobile phones, call centres and crap cars (or any cars for that matter). It's time that the grumpy old men and women put a sock in it. For all their dire warnings about the collapse of civilisation into tastelessness and grime, life for the vast majority of Britons is far better than it was 50 or even 20 years ago.THE GOOD OLD DAYS
1915: 63% of people died before 60, down to 12% in 2004
1900: 140 deaths per 1,000 births, down to 5.7 deaths in 1999
1901: life expectancy for newborns was 45 for boys, 49 for girls, up to 75 (boys), 80 (girls) in 2000
1914: 10% of people own a house, up to 68% in 1999
1900: 89% of homes privately rented, down to 10% in 2000

We live longer, healthier and wealthier lives than any of our forefathers did. Modern life is far from rubbish - in fact it's a far safer place for the newborn,women and the old (perhaps explaining why there are so many grumpy old men?), and surely that is something to celebrate.
The grumps despise crap cars, but at least more people have cars these days, which has made life easier for working families and hard-pushed mums. Taking kids to school and doing the weekly shop is no longer the exhausting trek it was 30 years ago.
making a fuss about a mud track that been used a rutted for thousands of years, come on puill the other one you just like to moan and need something to maon about I dont think you really care. Look at you the moaners' main targets
What seems to make the grumpy so grumpy is it a certain class of people and their habits?, what you need is Testosterone replacement therapy
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Tuesday, 16 May 2006
Problem is your all snobs and you dont realise what you sound like.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Sunday, 07 May 2006
Prejudicing against law abiding people who care about the countryside and the few pathways they can use (http://www.trf.org.uk) will not stop the illegal and reckless riding of motorcycles. The people that are causing this problems are breaking the law now. Do you think that extra legislation will stop them? We have to accept that different people want to use the countryside for different things. We all respect and understand the need to protect our environment. We are all on the same side. There are not many places where you can legally ride, these places are roads. They were built for the same reasons the M1 was built. There are plenty of places you can walk without being affected by the legal use of motorcycles. As a trail rider I do not want to race, I do not want to antagonise but I do want to be able to enjoy the countryside. I am not breaking the law. I have every right top be there but I will always defer to any other user.

Please don't persecute us.

Pete Kyle
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Tuesday, 31 July 2007
    i have to agree with you pete i take my range rover off roading on the byways. we all have the same respect for the countryside n dont want to see the historic trails destroyed. even the trial bike riders and 4x4 users get annoyed by the few people who abuse the trails. and as pete said even if the 4x4s and bikes were baned it still would not stop the people with no respect for the law or the trails
    please take into account that we dont deserve to be tared with the same brush, or persecuted for the action of mindless indeviduals
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Monday, 17 April 2006
what use do trailways have if not for riding motorbikes, the bikers are actualy giving the trail a purpose by having fun on it
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Anonymous on Monday, 10 October 2005
indeed, all *motorized* transport should be banned from all public paths etc. Recing cars have to use racetracks, off-roaders should have to use private land, or purpose built off-road parks.
Can we distinguish (push)'bikes' and 'motorbikes' though.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by bec-zog on Wednesday, 27 July 2005
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A permanent total ban of all forms of motorised vehicles is the only way to protect this and other ancient trackways. e.g. The Icknield Way & Peddars Way are both suffering in some areas as lunatics with "off road" vehicles destroy the surface.

Enforcing such a ban is another matter.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Thorgrim on Friday, 22 July 2005
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Hooray! But make it seven years not seven months. Or better still, ban the wretched noisy, smelly, gas guzzling things forever. Not that I'm prejudiced in any way. Just hate 'em ;)
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Bikes banned from Iron Age trail by Nick- on Monday, 25 July 2005
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Ban the damned things forever. They're bad enough on public roads yet alone tracks - especially ancient one's. I mean those bulbous 4x4 monsters and scrambling bikes too. (Though on occasions have met very considerate trail bikers...)
    [ Reply to This ]

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