OLD RAILWAYS ON HORSEBACK

EQUINE RAILWAY ACCESS

Contribute If you know of a railway line near you that is accessible to horse traffic and/or carriage driving, please let us have the information. We will need OS grid map references of the start and the end, and a description, and some lovely photos preferable of the entrance/s. Any historical information would be a bonus, and the general condition of the railway line as well.

Long Distance Riding The interest in riding long distances over several days/weeks has been growing for years. Books have been written going back to the pre-war years. A lot of railway lines were closed down around the 1960s and there is an interest in using them for foot traffic. Access is a major problem and when you come across a bridleway that no-longer exists on the ground, but you’re sure you are in the right place, it can add valuable miles and time on the days route. No fun for a tired horse either! Railway lines are a fantastic addition to Long Riders route planning if they are open for us to use. They are usually reasonably flat and the surface good for barefoot horses as well as shod horses. Easy going! By knowing where these are we hope to be an asset to those riders engaging in this sort of riding.

Counties

It will be apparent that the county names we have used do not always match the current map. We have used

the pre- 1974 names wherever they are known, many of the closed lines crossed county boundaries when built

and some of those have disappeared. The current local authority is referenced in the links, there could be

more than one authority to consult in some cases

Made with Xara

EQUINE RAILWAY ACCESS

Long Distance Riding The interest in riding long distances over several days/weeks has been growing for years. Books have been written going back to the pre-war years. A lot of railway lines were closed down around the 1960s and there’s an interest in using them for foot traffic. Access is a major problem and when you come across a bridleway that no-longer exists on the ground, but you’re sure you are in the right place, it can add valuable miles and time on the days’ route. No fun for a tired horse either! Railway lines are a fantastic addition to Long Riders’ route planning if they are open for us to use. They are usually reasonably flat and the surface good for barefoot horses as well as shod horses. Easy going! By knowing where these are we hope to be an asset to those riders engaging in this sort of riding.

Counties

It will be apparent that the county names we have used do not always match the current map. We have used the pre- 1974

names wherever they are known, many of the closed lines crossed county boundaries when built and some of those have

disappeared. The current local authority is referenced in the links, there could be more than one authority to consult in