So what is this website all about?! As it says above, this is a review of our experiences driving every byway, green lane, track and trail open to vehicles in the south-eastern counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and perhaps a smattering of those in Kent. We've driven over 300 byways so far, and we still have more to go! Since there is only so much information that can be gleaned from an Ordinance Survey map, this website serves as an illustrated account of our experiences for your perusal, delectation and inspiration, in order to get you out there enjoying and caring for the glorious English countryside as much as we have! It is also unbiased: weighted towards all user groups and in favour of none. We are acutely aware of the disgraceful, anti-social and illegal actions of the few who ruin it for everyone and the threats we are up against, and it is these irresponsible people we must fight to protect our leisure pursuit.
How does this site work, then? Well:
- the map above is fully interactive. You can scroll around, zoom in and out, and click on any marker in order to load the entry for that byway,
- the tags on the right act as a filter (e.g. recommended country pubs),
- the search box (top right) is self-explanatory.
A quick word on our ratings: byways rated 0 are closed to motorised
traffic (subject to a TRO etc) and have only been included so you can cross them off your map and not waste time. Those rated 1 are either metalled or so
short as to be pointless. Those rated 5 are the elite and simply must
be visited!
Next, the (hopefully self-explanatory) tab menu along the top of the page works in an equally simple manner:
- 'Home' always brings you straight back to this page,
- 'Definitive Maps' gives you the resources you need to research a byway,
- 'Greenlane Code' details the etiquette we implore you to adhere to when out green laning,
- 'What?!' describes the ethos of green laning what you need to do it,
- 'Who?!' introduces your illustrious explorers for those curious,
- 'Off-road Sites' is a brief article listing some suitable venues where you are encouraged to behave like a vandal (keep it OFF the byways)!
- Finally, the Disclaimer speaks for itself.
If you'd really like to make a difference to the glorious British countryside whilst out exploring it and help us out at the same time, keep your eyes open for invasive non-native plant species (i.e rhododendron or Himalayan balsam) and, using the Plant Tracker app on your smartphone, upload a picture with location info to their database for future management by the Environment Agency. This is such a simple thing to do and takes seconds but it really does make a difference, and we find it immensely rewarding to know that we are 'giving back' whilst enjoying our favourite hobby!
Finally we hope you find this website genuinely useful. Also, we'd like to humbly request that if you find any errors or out-of-date information, or have any feedback what-so-ever, please don't hesitate to either comment below or get in touch via our Twitter feed. Enjoy!
