BOAT: Tennyson Trail

Location: Isle of Wight, UK
  • Overall Rating: 0
  • Location: Freshwater, Isle of Wight.
  • OS Explorer Map OL29, 'Isle of Wight'.
  • Starting OS Grid Reference: SZ350856 or SZ370851
  • Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 67' 00" W001 50 60" or N50 66' 50" W001 47 80"
  • Finishing OS Grid Reference: SU481881 
  • Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 69' 10" W001 31' 90"
  • To see: too much to list.
  • ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!
What an awful, heartbreaking loss to the greenlaning community this is. Due to the actions of some utter filth which were severe enough to make the national press (Daily Telegraph, Dec 28th, 2002) we have lost access to this '5-rated' byway. According to the Isle of Wight 4x4 Club, it is now illegal to drive a motorised vehicle on this awesome, 10-mile-long trail unless you hold a disabled 'blue' badge, or a taxi license, or drive a ‘community vehicle’ (whatever that is. Sunshine Bus maybe?).

Thus, this wonderful, 10-mile-long byway between Freshwater and Carisbrooke is now subject to a TRO. And that's not all: every byway on the Isle of Wight is also subject to a TRO between 30th Sept and 1st April to mitigate damage to the surface of the green lanes, no doubt instigated as a reaction to the activities of these fools. If you are going to visit, do so in summer and prepare to be very disappointed!

The idiots, it seems, have won this fight.

A loss keenly felt.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Tennyson Trail was closed to vehicles in a very suspicious manner. The supposed vandalism was carried out at night. Legal users would use this byway during the day. There are no locked gates on this byway to keep out vandals,etc. Do you smell a RAT? In my opinion, the byway was closed due to orchestrated lobbying by some groups to restrict access it. The Island council went along with the closure against police advice. The land-owner got their way,and rights accrued by vehicular use over 100 years were lost. Unlike other TROs, this byway never comes up for reconsideration for opening. I smell a BIG Rat!
By the way,your photo shows the byway to Compton Farm,which is still open to traffic.

Dempo said...

Did you try (or has anyone tried, for that matter) to contest the closure through GLASS? If there are as many rats as you say there are then there must be a case against the landowner. However, we cannot comment as we are totally ignorant of the issue.

The Compton Farm byway picture is included as, rather than break down the Tennyson Trail into its individual constituent parts, we treated it all as one for brevity.

However, is it true that all byways on the IoW are closed seasonally?

Anonymous said...

In reply,James,I can confirm that red signs with white writing are put up seasonally,stating that the lanes are closed for "maintenance". They are taken down each year,at the change of season. I do not know exactly when. Nor have I seen any maintenance!
Local user groups tried to keep the Tennyson Trail open,having talks with the Council at the time that the TRO was being considered. It does seem that this route is ready to be considered for re-opening now.
I do enjoy your work,many thanks for it.

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