tricky Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 hi im new to the forum and new to off roading , i was wondering where do most of you go off road , i have been on a few byways around the M4 corridor in Wiltshire and also down to Salisbury plain but always seem to run into the land wardens who have different ideas as to where you are allowed to go my discovery is not kitted out for serious off roading , ie no winch or lift kits etc but i have got AT tyres fitted and would like to go somewhere where i can have a bit of fun and get it dirty any suggestions much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 If the range wardens disagree with you then you need to sort your navigation out, they are quite reasonable and approachable in most circumstances, as long as you are on a byway or have good cause to believe that you are. Finding, and sticking to, the byways on SPTA can be a nightmare as there are so few decent landmarks and all sorts of tracks on the ground which are not marked on the map. With a decent GPS and a 1:50k (or better a 1:25k) map you should be fine. A standard Discovery should be OK too for the most part. Remember that when on a green lane you are not off-road but on road. If you were to want extreme off-road, winching, getting stuck etc. then my friend JST from this forum can help. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 As Chris says they are all approachable. If you are still unsure about driving on the Plain just ask on here. There is always someone out and about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pux Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 The next time i do a run out with the other club which is in december i will pm you and show you the ropes out there. As for the comments above i could not agree more. Im born and breed plains men so know it very well as for the land wardens if they approach you then they are either being friendly and want a chat or your doing something wrong. And i must admit i do feel very sorry for these guy's with the abuse they recieve from people who don't have a clue about the plains!!! and believe that because a tank or similar has been there they have the right too. Also whne you got stopped by the landwardens what action did they take against you i.e take your no plate ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 You're too late to join & drive this weekend but you're welcome to come to Bunny Lane on Sunday to spectate and see what's what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotal Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Im born and breed plains men so know it very well You breed plains men?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signia Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I'm near Reading, and I know of the lanes you're talking about around Wiltshire. It's a nice area. There are lots around Marlborough and Devises - best thing to do is get an OS Explorer map and find the lanes on there. Then go out and explore and make sure there aren't any TROs in place and they are still marked as byways. Further towards me there's Bucklebury Common (south of M4, west of Reading) which is nice and I've recently done the Test Way near the Berks/Wilts border which runs up to Coombe Gibbet (South of Kintbury). There's a short guide on my website - I think there's a link on my profile to it. There's also some pics on there about Salisbury Plain which I did for the first time a few weeks ago - great fun. At Coombe Gibbet, there's also a section which leads down to part of the Wayfarers Walk which I've not done yet. If you get the maps, you'll see what I'm talking about There are some very long sections of the Ridgeway which would make a nice day out, although I think parts of them are restricted depending on the time of year. Something like Mar-Sep only? I've not done them yet either! As far as just getting out there goes, some lanes are easy and some aren't so easy. One of the many golden rules is to stop when you think there's a chance you might get stuck beyond all hope! It's not worth it - especially if you can't self-recover and you're out on your own. Low cost accessories like trackmats and a spade though could make the difference between walking home and driving. Have fun though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 The next time i do a run out with the other club which is in december i will pm you and show you the ropes out there. As for the comments above i could not agree more. Im born and breed plains men so know it very well as for the land wardens if they approach you then they are either being friendly and want a chat or your doing something wrong. And i must admit i do feel very sorry for these guy's with the abuse they recieve from people who don't have a clue about the plains!!! and believe that because a tank or similar has been there they have the right too.Also whne you got stopped by the landwardens what action did they take against you i.e take your no plate ?? pux hi thanks for the offer to go on the run in december , i have spoken to three wardens so far , who stopped for a chat ,all three approached me while i was stationary having a cuppa or a break not while i was driving by flagging me down , none of them told me off or warned me about being in the wrong area , the first stopped for a chat when i was having a quick cuppa , he gave me advice on where to go and where not to go on the plain and considering it was the first time i had spoke to a warden i was grateful for his help , the next warden who i meet said similar things to the first but seemed more relaxed about the areas that i could go and couldnt go , then the third was totally different , he said that i should not go anywhere except on the byways ,which he said are clearly marked ( not too sure about that ) , do not drive on any grass areas or into any wooded areas , he also suggested buying a good map so as i dont stray into areas im not allowed .ie off of the byways . the reason i mentioned the wardens is that the three i have met so far all seemed to have different opinions and i was trying to work out what to do and where to go to stay on the right side of the law ,i have not been anywhere im not allowed , as far as i know , and i have not had my number or name taken or been reported , and i want to keep it that way . i have seen several police vehicles and even more land wardens over the plain who have acknowledged me by raising their hand to me as they drove past me and obviously had no problem with where i was driving and what i was doing , i hope to keep it this way so i tend to stick to the main routes through the plain . thanks Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Tricky.... where abouts in Wilts are you? i live in Purton, just outside Swindon. i'm very often up on the 'plain, but havn't been recently (seriously) as i'm "in between vehicles" so to speak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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