UK & Ireland Greenlaning UK

[rovie]

Hi guys, I was looking for the coordinator for Global Grenadiers Local Area Forum UK but couldn't find it anymore, maybe you can tell me who it is?

So I have taken the liberty of re-opening this thread specifically for UK.

We love UK. The people and especially the countryside. It is important to us to experience nature even during vehicle trips. We have always enjoyed using byways (BOAT/ORPA) between the small towns.
We do not want to destroy nature in any way! Rather, we want to use the existing ways, which are otherwise hardly used any more, with our Grenadier.

Since we have unfortunately not been with you for the last 3 years, I no longer know the current regulations regarding greenlaning. There have certainly been some changes in the course of "environmental protection". I hope the byways still exist. In this context, I will also contact the glass-uk.

I would be pleased if we could meet and get to know one or the other of you with your Grenadier.

We are planning to go to the New Forrest and Cotswolds in late May/early June.

Are there any of you who have theoretically received your vehicle at this time?

 

[AWo]

Hello,

have you considered to become a GLASS member? Than you have access to the latest regulations and the Trailwise2 database, which is far better than version one. Now it is really easy to plan you trips. And of course, you get your regular Green Lane edition where alle the local representatives are listet. And, most important, you support the work of the GLASS.

Cheers
AWo
GLASS Member 6255

 

[Beormund]

Excuse my ignorance. It's the first I've heard of GLASS. Are you referring to glass-uk.org? Looks interesting from what I've read in the About Us section.

 

[rovie]

Excuse my ignorance. It's the first I've heard of GLASS. Are you referring to glass-uk.org? Looks interesting from what I've read in the About Us section.

Yes, exactly. That's what I mean. By the way, we have already been to Kent. It's also a beautiful region.

 

[AWo]

Excuse my ignorance. It's the first I've heard of GLASS. Are you referring to glass-uk.org? Looks interesting from what I've read in the About Us section.

Yes.

AWo

 

[Jeremy996]

GLASS is your best bet. Green Lane Association There has been some tightening of the laws, so being in the wrong place and getting caught can lead to the seizing of the vehicle involved. Getting it back can be expensive and time consuming.

Over the last few years there has been a massive rollout of TROs (Traffic Regulation Orders), reclassification of routes, so that many vehicles are banned and formal prohibitions. Some TROs are seasonal, so a legal route in one month becomes protected in another.

 

[acwiltshire]

Hi guys, I was looking for the coordinator for Global Grenadiers Local Area Forum UK but couldn't find it anymore, maybe you can tell me who it is?

So I have taken the liberty of re-opening this thread specifically for UK.

We love UK. The people and especially the countryside. It is important to us to experience nature even during vehicle trips. We have always enjoyed using byways (BOAT/ORPA) between the small towns.
We do not want to destroy nature in any way! Rather, we want to use the existing ways, which are otherwise hardly used any more, with our Grenadier.

Since we have unfortunately not been with you for the last 3 years, I no longer know the current regulations regarding greenlaning. There have certainly been some changes in the course of "environmental protection". I hope the byways still exist. In this context, I will also contact the glass-uk.

I would be pleased if we could meet and get to know one or the other of you with your Grenadier.

We are planning to go to the New Forrest and Cotswolds in late May/early June.

Are there any of you who have theoretically received your vehicle at this time?

Hi Rovie
I live in Wiltshire very close to Salisbury Plain which a massive 4x4 opportunity on specific parts of the military area. I have started looking for guided drives over this area and found 4x4 adventure tours . When I get my Fieldmaster ( was due Jan, Feb ..... you know the rest) i will try and arrange a drive with them. They will run a private group for a day for 3 vehicles at only £80 each.

 

[AWo]

We tried to cross Salisbury Plains in 2016 when we came back from Wales. There were red flags posted, so we called the "Gunnery Sergeant". There is a telephone number you can call, when you plan to cross specific sections. He asked when we plan to cross. I answered "Now": He didn't expect that and replied, that they are shooting with artillery today and asked where we want to cross. I told him our position and our destination, He the replied in cryptic language that we can drive blablabla V5 from A2 over HZU-87 to the West and then at junction XYZ up to Something Hill etc. etc. I just answered, that it might be better not to cross today. He only said...."yes, we're shooting today....with very big guns". Then we both laughed and hang up. Funny guy...maybe saved my life.

Cheers
AWo

 

[rovie]

Hi Rovie
I live in Wiltshire very close to Salisbury Plain which a massive 4x4 opportunity on specific parts of the military area. I have started looking for guided drives over this area and found 4x4 adventure tours . When I get my Fieldmaster ( was due Jan, Feb ..... you know the rest) i will try and arrange a drive with them. They will run a private group for a day for 3 vehicles at only £80 each.

Hi @acwiltshire ,
I have read about Salisbury Plain before and have driven around the outside of it. But it never appealed to me because it's a special military/off-road area. I'm not really interested in pure off-roading, but exploring lonely, little-travelled paths.
It would certainly be interesting to ride the Grenadier in such terrain though. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Tom D]

There are a couple of forest drives that you can do on land owned by the forestry commission. One in England https://www.forestryengland.uk/kielder-castle/kielder-forest-drive

And one in Scotland
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/vi...lizabeth-forest-park/three-lochs-forest-drive there might be more.



https://g.co/kgs/HvmM4z

 

[Eric]

There are a couple of forest drives that you can do on land owned by the forestry commission. One in England https://www.forestryengland.uk/kielder-castle/kielder-forest-drive

And one in Scotland
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/vi...lizabeth-forest-park/three-lochs-forest-drive there might be more.



https://g.co/kgs/HvmM4z

I'm familiar with those local forest drives, but I won't class them as off road/ green lanes. They are made up (to a high standard for a logging road) old harvesting roads upgraded to an acceptable standard to allow Sunday afternoon tourist in even the lowest car to drive.
Villages often have "live" logging roads that are designed to stop logging traffic passing through the village. There are two near me. They can't be used by the public because they are live and have a lot of logging traffic, are raised above the surrounding boggy land are single carriageway. The wagons ( know locally ask "stick wagons") use CB radio to time the runs to avoid meeting.
We also have a log burning power station (and the biggest wood yard in Europe) near by, just outside N of Lockerbie so our B roads are inundated with logging wagons

 

[Tom D]

I know that they are nothing special in terms of driving experience but they are quite scenic.
The fact is that if you can find a legally drivable off road route in the U.K. longer than 5 miles you’re doing well. It’s just a very densely populated part of the world. I’ve never done the 3 lochs one. I once did the Kielder one in a ford fiesta though. So you’re right. Hardly challenging.

 

[Eric]

I know that they are nothing special in terms of driving experience but they are quite scenic.
The fact is that if you can find a legally drivable off road route in the U.K. longer than 5 miles you’re doing well. It’s just a very densely populated part of the world. I’ve never done the 3 lochs one. I once did the Kielder one in a ford fiesta though. So you’re right. Hardly challenging.

I live on the edge of the forest, the wife uses the forest tracks for horse and mountain bike riding. Me, the only thing I ride that goes between my legs, has a honda engine

 

[jamesfielding]

I’ve been across the Salisbury Plains route in my FIL’s G4 edition discovery which was pretty fun, the route we took comes within close proximity to stone henge. Where I live (West Cotswolds) there are a few green lanes I will be keen to try once I’ve received my gren.

 

[Eric]

I know that they are nothing special in terms of driving experience but they are quite scenic.
The fact is that if you can find a legally drivable off road route in the U.K. longer than 5 miles you’re doing well. It’s just a very densely populated part of the world. I’ve never done the 3 lochs one. I once did the Kielder one in a ford fiesta though. So you’re right. Hardly challenging.

I wonder if there are sections of General Wade's Military Road in the Highlands that can be driven in the off road sections. Time for some Googleing I think

 

[Shaky]

I used to do quite a bit of green laning in the early 2000’s on two wheels and four and it was great but over a few short years I lost the love because of the continual games being played by the local councils, arguments with locals who made us feel about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit and all of the closures and in some cases police harassment.

But overall was the Ramblers, what a lovely bunch they are and where I learnt my deep loathing of the species. Normally 40 - 60yr old Male and female “Karen’s”. They seem to think they should be the only ones in the countryside and note they have tried to get mountain bikes and horses banned from trails in the the past.

Done respectfully and legally, green laning is a great hobby. Unfortunately the 5” lifted, extreme 4x4 crowd ruined it for most people making their own tracks, ploughing up the real ones and just generally being a nuisance.

 

[AWo]

I remember a post of the GLASS showing four or five cars in the middle if the barley while there was a track beside. They were all caught as the police stopped them.

AWo

 

[rovie]

I used to do quite a bit of green laning in the early 2000’s on two wheels and four and it was great but over a few short years I lost the love because of the continual games being played by the local councils, arguments with locals who made us feel about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit and all of the closures and in some cases police harassment.

But overall was the Ramblers, what a lovely bunch they are and where I learnt my deep loathing of the species. Normally 40 - 60yr old Male and female “Karen’s”. They seem to think they should be the only ones in the countryside and note they have tried to get mountain bikes and horses banned from trails in the the past.

Done respectfully and legally, green laning is a great hobby. Unfortunately the 5” lifted, extreme 4x4 crowd ruined it for most people making their own tracks, ploughing up the real ones and just generally being a nuisance.

Yes, @Shaky. I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, many people have lost respect for each other and for nature.
I said it here somewhere months ago, some 4-wheelers with their pimped 4x4s, whose equipment is mostly just for show, make sure that all off-road vehicles and their drivers are badly regarded in society.
I don't know how it is in UK, but here in Germany there are or were some people and also well-known clubs who behave like that. That's why I avoid them.
I can confirm that greenlaning didn't have such a bad reputation in the early 2000s. At that time I went to the local police authority and said that we were from Germany and wanted to do greenlaning. The answer was astounding: "If you want to drive on these ways, then do it". Two officials showed us the start of such a route. Incidentally, it did not stop at this one positive police experience. We were also escorted to Gaydon for LR's 60th birthday and even stopped other traffic so we could cross as a priority.

 

[DCPU]

I used to do quite a bit of green laning in the early 2000’s on two wheels and four and it was great but over a few short years I lost the love because of the continual games being played by the local councils, arguments with locals who made us feel about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit and all of the closures and in some cases police harassment.

The end of the golden years.

I used to actually make appointments with the council Rights of Way officers to view their definitive maps. Spent many a morning marking up my OS sheets much to the amusement of most of the Highways Department.

 

[Tazzieman]

If you have money or skills , you can always emigrate.
Or take a long holiday. Perhaps I should start a Grenadier hire-drive holiday business?