Horse riders win 20-year battle for new bridleways around Shropshire landmark

Horse riders are celebrating after a planning inspector confirmed the creation of a network of bridleways around a Shropshire landmark.

Objecting forestry landowner Raby Estates had told a public inquiry that use of their land at The Wrekin had been formally contested legally in 1996.

But horse riders gave inspector Claire Tregembo evidence that they had used a network of routes for 20 years before then, between 1976 and 1996.

Sally-Anne Robinson, of Telford Bridleways Association, said: "This is the biggest bridleway gain ever in Shropshire.

"We’ve been fighting for this for over 20 years since my late mother and Ros Connor made the initial application.

"Horse riders need safe places to ride and are being squeezed out of Telford due to the housing developments.

"We don’t want to go up the Wrekin, it’s far too busy, just gently hack around the base with access routes off the surrounding lanes."

She added: "This is a huge gain for horse riders for generations to come - six footpaths have been upgraded and two bridleways created.

"I can’t believe it after all this blood, sweat and tears. Thank you everyone who has supported me in bringing this to such a successful conclusion."

The inspector noted that 80 people provided evidence of use of the routes between 1927 and 2026.

The inspector wrote: "It was argued that the user evidence was unreliable due to the quality of the forms and their age.

"However, the recent statements of truth and evidence presented at the inquiry was clear and detailed.

"Memories of the order routes were clear and riders referred to specific points, details, and events.

"Therefore, I do not consider the user evidence to be unreliable."

The new bridleways - in Little Wenlock, Uppington, Wroxeter, and Wrockwardine - were confirmed the inspector following the inquiry in September.

The inspector ruled that any notices on parts of the land were not sufficient to challenge use of the routes as public before early 2014, and the notice erected then only challenged use by cyclists not horse riders.

The inspector heard that two workers with Raby Estate (also known as Uppington Estate) had challenged 'anyone on horseback'.

But she concluded that "these appear to be limited, and the earliest dated challenge mentioned was in 1997.

"I do not consider these challenges were sufficient to bring into question use of the order routes."

While most of the land is owned by the Raby Estate there is another land owner where a route crosses land leased to the Scouts Association.

On land used by the Scouts there has been a locked gate "since the mid 1930s" and also a wicket gate since at least the 1950s.

"Path users recall both gates, but the wicket gate was never locked, and the vehicular gate was open at times," the inspector wrote.

"I do not consider these gates challenged the use of order route five as a bridleway.

"I am not satisfied that there is sufficient evidence that any locked gates, structures, or other obstructions brought into question use of the routes."

The inspector found that the there was enough use of the paths that it was sufficient to come to the attention of the landowners and was without secrecy, force, or permission.

The inspector wrote that a "landowner must take action to make the public aware that they have no intention of dedicating a public right of way."

"I found that many of these did not come to the attention of the public using the order routes as bridleways and they also occurred after the relevant 20 year period.

"I am not satisfied that there is sufficient evidence of any actions taken by the estate to demonstrate a lack of intention to dedicate public bridleway rights over their land during the relevant 20 year period."

The inspector found that one order route and parts of another are in land owned by another person. In applications for that land she considered the relevant 20 year period for these routes is June 1984 to June 2004.

"I consider there is sufficient evidence of use of these routes as bridleways during the relevant 20 year period without permission, secrecy, force, or challenge. There is no evidence to demonstrate a lack of intention to dedicate during the relevant 20 year period."

The inquiry heard of health and safety and safeguarding concerns from the Scout camp. But the inspector confirmed that they are not issues she was able to take into consideration.