Four Wheel Drivers

There's not much that annoys walkers so much as the appearance of rogue 4WD vehicles off road in the countryside. We take considerable pains to get away from motor vehicles into places where such things should have no place and along come the obsessive people insisting on 'their rights' to drive wherever they please. And when we remonstrate they have the nerve to say "Well where can we go then?" assuming that buying something called an 'off road vehicle' gives them the right to demand of society that they are allowed to drive on moors and mountains and other places previously thought to be a sanctuary from their noise and general nuisance.


On Sunday a 4WD vehicle was seen going down the hill from Devil's Elbow to Shorts Lane. We've not yet checked to see what damage has been done. Simple pedal bikes cause a lot of erosion here so there's scope for much worse. We may be lucky that the hardness of the ground from the present frosty conditions will minimise the impact.

On Moss Road to the south of Blacka the erosion has to be seen to be believed.

Now that track - a Public Byway - is sealed off from vehicles (but not from motor bikes). The question has to be why it took the authorities so long to stop the activity.... and whether the ruination caused will ever allow it to recover.