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Hi, does anyone have a clue what is going on in Broxbourne Woods? There's a load of trails which have been barriered off by cut down trees, posts and the like. Someone working there told me a couple of weeks back that they are setting up some sort of kids activity camp and closing off some of the woods, but I can't find any information out on it and what areas are closed off.

Pretty annoying, been riding over there for 15 years.

Bit of an explanation / discussion here ..... http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/broxbourne-woods-permanent-access-restrictions

Thanks. What a nightmare. They've been slowly ruining Broxbourne Woods for a couple of years!

It looks like bloody Tunguska over there now.
Ramblers have been moaning about MTB's making a mess for years yet they seem perfectly happy about this... Grrr

I sent an email to Hatifield House asking a few questions about the current state of the woods, I asked who owns the woods and how long they will be there etc, this was their reply.

Hello Sheldon,

Cowheath, Brambles and Highfield Woods are owned by the Estate. The surrounding woods (Broxbourne Nature Reserve and the land to the south, including Broad Riding Wood are owned by public bodies or charities, including the Wildlife Trust).

The Estate has not dedicated open access in its woods but does maintain the two main public rights of way. We have, over the last five years or so, been improving the woodland through thinning and some harvesting, to encourage and support our strategy of continuous cover foresty (CCF). The aim is to have an un-even-aged forest structure and move away from long cycles of no or little intervention and then large scale clear-felling and replanting. We have invested in new roads and loading bays to improve access for harvesting and machinery.

We have always maintained that the rights of way should be enjoyed and asked people to respect that the woods, despite the neighbouring ones being more of a free-for-all, are not open access throughout. We have had continuous issues with illegal use of the woods by motorbikes; 4x4 vehicles and horses that ride off the bridleway. Our signs get vandalised and gates get torn down.

Bushcraft have a licence from the Estate to hold summer camps in parts of the woodland – away from public rights of way – to teach schoolchildren bushcraft and survival skills. These are held during term time with teachers and their pupils sharing camp together. For all sorts of safety reasons, they do need to make sure people don’t stray from public paths. They have had to do some tree safety work to ensure all risks have been minimised.

I would encourage you to study an OS map of the rights of way – these also show which woods in the area are “open access” and show the footpaths and bridleways. We will be putting up more signs, with maps, to help. Our staff will, as they have been doing for a number of years, continue blocking up motorbike and other accesses that are not part of the rights of way.

We want people to enjoy the rights of way and hope that we, as responsible and long term woodland owners, can go about our woods, managing them for the future and, where appropriate, seeking to have some low-key operations use them (like Bushcraft).

Hi,
First I have to admit I am not a mountain biker - sorry - but I do run in Broxbourne Woods and have had problems with paths being closed round there. I wanted to share the details of this meeting which is being held to try to open up one of the footpaths that they are blocking. Am having to type details as I can't add a photo of the poster to this post.

PUBLIC MEETING

Friday June 12th at 7:30pm

Brickendon Parish Hall, Fanshaws Room
Brickendon Green, SG13 8PB

Have you ever walked, cycled or ridden a horse along the track known as the Monks Way in Broxbourne Woods (the cross road at the top of Sticky Hill/Ermine Street to Broxbourne Woods)?

Are you upset that this track has now been closed for public access by Gascoyne Cecil Estates?

Urgent action is needed to claim this route as a public right of way before it is too late. Please come and fill out an evidence form.

Enquiries to: Alison Balfour-Lynn BHS Regional Access & Bridleways Officer
abalfourlynn@sky.com
07778 517486

I believe that she can also email you the form to fill in if you cannot make the meeting.

I hope this helps. Please contact me if you would like a copy of the poster and please feel free to share these details.

Tracey

PS Apparently complaints have been filed against the bushcraft people for not having planning permission to use the land in this way. Whether this will come to anything I don't know.

Good info all - thanks for the updates

Went past there yesterday and they had cars parked next to a couple of the old entry points with signs showing right of way (although no reference to where I was at that point, so not very helpful...)

Just come from there today....they have decimated it! Honestly, some of the marked footpaths have been driven through with panzers , by the look of it.....the trees have been smashed to pieces, and random hacking has taken place too.i ended up a bit lost and popped out onto a gravel road, to be met by "esme, from bushcraft" who very politely told me to get off their land. It's carnage in there.....

Hi, I am the British Horse Society Regional Access and Bridleways Officer, and I have called a public meeting at Brickendon Village Hall on June 12th at 7.30 to get people to fill out evidence forms so that this track through Broxbourne Woods can be claimed as a public right of way. Please can anyone who has ever ridden, cycled or walked this track in the past come to the public meeting or email me for evidence forms.
abalfourlynn@sky.com

I plan to attend the public meeting on June 12th.

There seems to be a major discrepancy between the reasonable tone of the email from Hatfield House and the aggressive/no-mercy tactics being used by the Buchcrafters.

I'd hate to see anyone get hurt so I'd advise people to be careful down there, maybe cycle in groups rather than solo, until we have more clarity on the matter.

I'm doing a Evans cycle Ride It that cuts through the top half of the woods on the marked public right of way (between Cowheath & Highfield woods), should be a couple hundred other MTB's also doing this event. so would be interesting to see if they block this path and try and deter the riders from using it.

Pitch forks and flaming torches at hand

If you know of any other paths in the area that we should be claiming, please come to the public meeting.
Alison

Any news on the outcome of the meeting?

It was a good meeting. claiming the main track through the middle as a right of way. the long battle has started