90 Metres of Progress: The Curious Case of a New Bridleway

It is a curious thing, is it not, that the powers-that-be, in their infinite wisdom, believed they could neatly parcel up the English countryside like so many slices of cake, each path and bridleway served with a side of bureaucracy. Under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, a grand endeavour was launched by Clement Attlee’s Labour government to codify the nation’s Rights of Way. Every footpath and bridleway was to be logged, mapped, and set in stone—or, at the very least, on paper. Oh, why couldn’t we just have copied the Scottish model?

Despite the buoyant optimism of the “man in Whitehall,” it seems that quantifying the complex tapestry of England’s byways was somewhat more complicated than anticipated. Local authorities, burdened with enthusiasm—or was it lethargy?—let slip some 49,000 miles of paths.¹Breen, Tom. “Your favourite walk may have an expiry date” Published: April 17, 2023. https://theconversation.com/your-favourite-walk-may-have-an-expiry-date-202908 Perhaps it was the fog of the post-war era, or perhaps a few palms were greased to smooth over these inconvenient footpaths. Who can say? But there they are: paths that lead nowhere, trails that vanish at parish borders, and those infamous miles of forgotten tracks.

Fast forward to 2023, and the UK Government, ever mindful of the ticking clock, set a deadline: by 2031, all claims to these lost paths must be filed. Miss the deadline, and these ancient rights of way shall be lost forever, relegated to the annals of forgotten history. Naturally, this has sparked a flurry of activity as organisations such as the Ramblers push local authorities, now rather strapped for cash, to correct the errors of the past. The spectre of bureaucracy looms large, as Definitive Map Modification Orders are churned out to save these paths for future generations—one can only imagine the paper trail.

Yet, amid this bureaucratic frenzy, one cannot help but marvel at the priorities of our modern authorities. Picture, if you will, the astonishment with which I spotted a notice informing that a new Public Bridleway is to be conjured into existence. A mere 90 metres of it, no less, on the Cleveland Way at Donna Cross, leading to the Raisdale ‘road’. One wonders what grand visions inspired this particular project. What unparalleled benefits are to be gained from this short-cut, which will allow cyclists, horse riders, and the occasional dog walker to traverse a patch of land that was officially hitherto barred to them?

For those eager to witness this marvel, today’s photo obligingly captures the scene. One sees a well-defined curving path, right of centre, flanked by an expanse of Bracken, cutting across what is already designated Open Access Land. Further right is the seemingly less-defined Cleveland Way. What profound new freedoms does this confer upon us? Well, you may now cycle or ride a horse along this shortcut, or perhaps walk your dog. And that, I think, is the extent of it.

One cannot help but marvel at the sheer ingenuity of it all. When faced with the monumental task of correcting decades of mapping oversights, what better use of resources than to bless us with 90 metres of newly minted bridleway? Truly, we are living in an age of unparalleled progress.

• 1
  Breen, Tom. “Your favourite walk may have an expiry date” Published: April 17, 2023. https://theconversation.com/your-favourite-walk-may-have-an-expiry-date-202908