Redlands Trails

Local farmer ploughs online

Manor Farm, on the outskirts of Wotton has launched a new website to keep farm users, visitors and locals up to date with what's going on, down at the farm. The farm backs on to the trails leading onto Leith Hill and many of us will cross its boundaries without really knowing it.

Manor Farm hit the headlines recently when there was a suspected Foot & Mouth outbreak, which thankfully was not the case.

The website has all the latest news and information about the farm, its activities, the history of the farm and its involvement in country stewardship. It’s a great looking site and will knock the detractors who see farming as backward.

If you ride in the Surrey Hills, you need to read this

We've not posted an update on the recent Hurtwood Control meeting on the 25h July for mountain bikers
here, although we've been busy elsewhere. So here's what's happened - and why you should care.

Hurtwood Control is the biggest land manager in the Surrey Hills. It manages Holmbury Hill and a lot of Pitch Hill, too.

Hurtwood is a remarkably forward-thinking organisation, and it's also dedicated to public access to the land it manages. This was effectively brought about by a Deed of Dedication signed in 1926 - the current owner of the Bray estate is the great neice (I think that's right) of the original signatory of the Deed.

However, mountain biking on Hurtwood land has reached a point where it's starting to have a detrimental impact on both the land and other land users. Hurtwood has to act.

Rather than simply ban mountain bikes, they want to get us involved and help them manage the problem they have.

That means that you - and your mates, and anyone else who rides in the Surrey Hills - needs to get involved in one way or another. Here's a list of what you can do.

1) Join Hurtwood Control.
If you think the riding you enjoy on Hurtwood Control land is worth more than £25, you'd be right. Hurtwood Control membership costs £25 a year and allows the Control to keep managing the land. The more money - and the more mountain bikers - join Hurtwood Control, the better for them, and the better for us. The application form can be downloaded here.

2) Keep off Parklife / Yoghurt Pots for now.
The trail from the top of Holmbury Hill enjoys lots of swoops - and those swooopy bits are actually a scheduled ancient monument - an Iron age Hill Fort. English Heritage has the power to do all kinds of nasty things if we don't stop riding - and damaging it. So lay off for a bit, please.

3) Get involved in Hurtwood.
If you're willing to help move earth, or even put some of your non-biking skills to use helping organise things, drop mtb(at)hurtwoodcontrol.co.uk a line.

If you want to know more, drop us a line, or ask around - don't take our word for it. This is really important stuff!
I saw a lot of people from local bike shops at the meeting, including Dave from Cycleworks, Dan from Head for the Hills, and Jackie from Nirvana. Richard from Surrey Hills MTB tours, Ian Warby from CTC, and a chap from IMBA UK were also in attendance. Ask them what happened, how you can help and what they think.

Alternatively, take a look at these accounts:

Chocolatefoot

STW

More STW

Yet more STW

NIrvana

Government hears the call of cyclists

The government has been revising the Highway Code, which for those mountain bikers who train on the road or commute on a bike is of importance.

Rules 61 and 63 were causing some concern in the cycling world and led to a campaign to ensure that the revisions initially proposed did not enter the code. A revised version of the revions of rules 61 and 63 has now been agreed. The initial one basically led the bike community to fear that it would have to use a cycle lane even if there were problems with it. The revision now states:

61 Cycle Routes and Other Facilities. Use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings unless at the time it is unsafe to do so. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

63 Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway. When using a cycle lane, keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

Provided that there are no objections in Parliament to the proposed revisions we should be able to publish the new edition of the Highway Code by the end of September. Any delay in issuing the Code would mean delaying the benefits of applying all the improved advice for all road users that it contains, including advice to motorists to be more aware of vulnerable road users such as cyclists.

Update on Foot-and-Mouth scare

The BBC is reporting that initial tests show that there is not a case of Foot-and-Mouth in Wotton near Westcott.  Its report says:

"Meanwhile, the BBC has learned the first batch of tests at a suspect farm outside the existing surveillance zone have come back negative."

DEFRA has placed a map of the area covered by the temporary control zone here: http://www.gisdiseasemap.defra.gov.uk/intmaps/FMD/map.jsp?xyRef=514031.5129805455,148772.565872486&scale=20000&label=&xylabel=%20%20%20&zoomOrID=zoom

Redlands Trails will place further updates on this blog as they come in.

Suspected case of Foot-and-Mouth in Wotton

There is a suspected case of foot-and-mouth in the Surrey Hills near Dorking. Described by government officials as a "clinical suspicion"; a temporary control zone of 1.8 miles has been put in place around the farm at Wotton, near Westcott.

The control zone has been set up after an initial assessment of the herd was inconclusive. The farm is leased by Laurence Matthews who has told the BBC that he is confident that his herd is not suffering from the disease. Tests are being carried out today in what the government are calling a "developing disease situation".

Two local bike shops in the area have reported that at present the main trails onto Leith and Holmbury Hill are open. Last weekend the National Trust's Longbarn Farm off the Pilgrims Way placed disinfected straw matting down near cattle grids onto its property.

If you are riding in the area, please respect any signage from DEFRA, farmers or land owners asking you not to use trails and bridleways, it is better that we nip this thing in the bud before we have to suffer a total ban on land access.

Redlands Trails will check the trails tonight and place a further update on this blog as soon as possible.
This BBC article has all the facts and a good map of the exclusion zone.

Problems on trails near Pilgrims Way

Riders who use the Pilgrims Way in and out of Dorking have recently noticed some pretty nasty trap building on the piece of singletrack that runs parallel to the Pilgrims Way (see map). The logs were placed to cause maximum disruption to riders and could have caused a serious injury.

Redlands Trails has spoken to the person doing this and they have agreed to stop. It turns out that one group of riders were disrespectful and sped past the person in question, leaving little room and showering them with stones they claim.

This is a busy area of land and used by local dog walkers, hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders. Please show everyone respect in the area, as there is often a perception of threat or danger from mountain bikers.

The National Trust, which owns the land has been contacted as is keeping an eye on activities in the area and supports Redlands Trails and mountain bikers self policing the hills. Notices will be added to the area by Redlands Trails.

Foot & Mouth disease in Surrey

No one can have failed to notice that Surrey is in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment with the outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in Pirbright. 

The Surrey Hills area around Dorking, Westcott, Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill features a lot of cattle and sheep farming and already the local farmers have been fast to react placing disinfected straw carpets on the entrances of their properties.

Landbarn Farm off the Pilgrims Way, a National Trust property has put straw down. Please make sure you ride through these and respect any notices and directions given by farmers, land owners and the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs as it will ensure that the disease is stopped in its tracks, and our mountain bike tracks remain open.