Roads used as public paths (RUPPs) are shown as dots and dashes in red. This is an old classification and these RUPPs are being gradually reclassified as either byways open to all traffic (BOATs), bridleways or footpaths, depending on whether or not there are public carriageway rights over them. Some highway authorities will be able to tell you which RUPPs are considered to have vehicular rights over them, but the rights of way officers of the various 4x4 clubs may well have more information at his or her fingertips.

Byways open to all traffic, the next higher classification, are shown as red dots and crosses. The public has a right to drive on any BOAT. On newer OS maps these are simply shown as a byway.

Just to confuse the issue, there are other lanes on which we may drive which are either recorded by the highway authority as minor public roads, commonly known as unclassified county roads (UCRs), or those which have no recorded status at all!

Even more confusing in just a few instances, a dashed black line earmarked as a path may also be legally driveable. In these few cases, this black-pecked path will probably be a UCR.

Just to complicate things a bit more, some BOATs (byways), RUPPs and UCRs with the public rights to drive could be restricted by a traffic regulation order (TRO). These orders limit or prohibit driving on those roads subject to the order. Such regulations are put into effect by standard 'no vehicles' signs, or similar, at each end. It is an offence to ignore such orders.

Occasionally you may come across 'temporary notice' signs displayed at each end of a lane, which has been either overused or damaged by heavy rainfall. Rights of way officers with agreement of both authority and user groups put them there. Please obey these notices.

In Britain, we must remember that every piece of ground is either owned or controlled by somebody, even though it may look deserted.

We must be careful not to trespass, and, in certain cases straying onto railways or military establishments could well be a civil offence.

Index [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

(c)Goodwinch Limited 2006