Navigating Navigation Part 2: Finding legal green roads

Why finding a line on a map is only the beginning.

The green road network in England and Wales provides an enjoyable way to access the countryside for many different groups of users, including walkers, horse riders and cyclists. It’s important that trail riders are respectful to the environment and show courtesy and understanding to other users and those who live or work in the area. Part of responsible and sustainable trail riding is to ensure that we only ride where it is legal.

In the UK, it can be complicated to work out where it is legal to ride. In England and Wales, footpaths, bridleways and restricted byways are out of bounds to motorised vehicles, as is common land, moorland and private land unless you have the explicit permission of the landowner.

So, for green laning we’re looking only for green roads known as Byways Open To All Traffic (BOATs) and Unclassified Country Roads (UCRs). These are shown on Ordnance Survey maps but are often subject to local Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), including seasonal or temporary closures. These are not always reliably signposted on the ground, so to check the legality of a route requires cross-referencing each individual BOAT or UCR against the local council’s Definitive Map, the List of Streets (the legal record of highways maintained at public expense), and the current list of TROs.

Checking for legal routes to navigate

There is a searchable List of Streets available online at https://www.findmystreet.co.uk/ which is free for public use. Many councils now have online portals for their Definitive Maps and maintain a list of TROs on their websites. But these are for general guidance only, and if a route’s legality is unclear, you must contact the council’s Rights of Way department to inspect the official Definitive Map or have an officer confirm the status of the route.

The Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) created the Green Road Map to help trail riders find where it is legal to ride, and it shows the legal green roads across England and Wales, often along with useful information from local groups on the green road’s current status and terrain. This helps make it easier to deal with the inconsistent mapping of different areas and reduce the likelihood of inadvertently ending up somewhere you shouldn’t be.

Because BOATs and UCRs are classified as public highways, motorcycles using them must be road legal, taxed and insured, with a valid MOT if applicable, and riders must hold an appropriate driving licence. The same laws apply as on normal, tarmac roads.

Scotland and Northern Ireland’s access laws are different – there is no byway system and Scotland’s ‘Right to Roam’ does not extend to motorised vehicles. In reality, to ride off-road in these countries, you need to be taking part in an organised club event, or at a Pay and Play venue.

Don’t forget that if you download a route that someone else has planned and shared, it’s still your responsibility to ensure that it is legal at the time you ride it. This means that even if you find a route on a mapping app, online group or website, you will still need to go through the process of checking the route to make sure it is legal, and you will still need to check for any new TROs or restrictions each time you ride it.

Finding your way

For many of us, this can all seem a bit daunting, especially if you’re new to green laning. One solution is to join a trail riding organisation, such as the TRF or a local club where members organise rides. It’s sociable and offers a wealth of local knowledge. Riding with others who know the local lanes can be a good way to learn some routes, or to get your navigation set up and practice using it. Many people are also happy to help by sharing tips on route planning.

Another solution is to choose a guided ride. This can help you discover trails that are well-suited to your bike and level of ability. It’s also ideal if you’re exploring an unfamiliar area where you don’t know what terrain to expect, or if you just want to enjoy a day on your bike without worrying about maps, navigation and route planning.

In Part 3, we'll look at what else you need to consider for planning a route – and how you can make it more likely a ride will be enjoyable before you even set off.

At Anglian Trail Adventures, our guides are OGA certified and we carefully research our rides so you can explore East Anglia’s green roads responsibly. If you’d like to find out more, take a look at our routes and upcoming ride dates.