Carriage Driving
The Forest of Dean is superb for carriage driving – miles of safe off-road routes through glorious countryside. Access onto these tracks is through barriers and gates and a key is required to open them. A key and permit can be obtained from the Forestry Commission by phoning 01594 833057. Yearly permits cost £35 plus VAT (£41.13).
If however, you live outside the Forest and would like to visit for a short period only a temporary permit & key can be purchased from the Tourist Office in Coleford. The cost for the minimum of one month is £10, plus £40 deposit, which is returned when the key is received back at the Tourist Office. One permit will cover more than one carriage, as long as they are driven at the same time. To obtain this temporary permit, telephone the Tourist Office on 01594 812388. Please allow a minimum of two weeks notice.
For drivers who drive alone, in the Yorkley area, the Forestry Commission have erected hitching posts at both ends of the track which runs from the Aisne Road end to the Parkend Road end. This is a track of about 3 miles and allows drivers to safely tie up their carriage either side of the barriers.
For carriage drivers who may like to indulge in something a little more exciting and compete in driving trials, there is a thriving club in the Forest, who hold events all the year round.
January 2008
Needs of all equestrians were put very strongly to Dee Ashurst (Public Relations) who chaired the meeting of the Forestry Commission Recreation Panel on 18 January 2008. Discussions continued after the meeting with Phil Morton, Manager, on the best way forward to manage recreational use of the woodlands throughout the district. It is too early to say what we have achieved, or not, but we continue to forcibly argue that it is unrealistic to try and limit equestrian access to the level that has been imposed by the FC in the recent past. Generally there are some positive noises being made but not anything that we can publicise at the moment
An agreement has been made between the BRITISH DRIVING SOCIETY and FORESTRY COMMISSION ENGLAND to strengthen collaboration and to increase the opportunities for safe carriage driving on the Commission’s woodlands.
The CONCORDAT was signed by John Parker (president of BDS) and Simon Hodgson (Chief Executive of Forestry Commission England) on 29 September 2007.
Unfortunately, this has not yet been posted on the FC website for all to see. The following are ‘extracts’ from the Concordat about providing access:
Forestry Commission England will:
Look for ways to extend the provision of ‘Turn up and Drive’ routes in The Commission’s woodlands in suitable areas, in addition to where there is already a legal right to do so.
Grant annual permissions to non-commercial drivers for a reasonable fee to allow safe access on suitable roads in woodlands where access management control is necessary.
Commercial enterprises will be granted permissions, where access management is not an issue, at an agreed commercial rate according to the level of their business activity.
Provide opportunities, where access management is not an issue, for horse and pony carriage-driving businesses to be set up, particularly in remote rural areas, in support of the British Horse Industry Confederation and Defra’s Strategy for the Horse Industry in England and Wales and in conjunction with other recreational and commercial developments and tourism strategies.
Co-operate in linking safe carriage driving routes where the proposed route is part of a through route, running over land owned by neighbours, and where this does not conflict with other recreational and commercial developments.
The British Driving Society will:
Support the creation of ‘Turn up and Drive’ routes and put forward suggestions for new areas of development.
Support the Forestry Commission England policy of providing permissive access in The Commission’s woodlands on tracks suitable for carriage driving other than where there is a legal right to do so.
Give technical advice on route surfaces.
Publicise the Forestry Commission Woodlands Carriage Driving Routes to its members.
Forestry Commission England will:
Comment:
We have advised FC about route surfaces, that hard sharp stoned tracks are not ideal for horses’ feet and can cause damage.
The Association has been talking to the FC for several years about extending the provision of routes. A lot of time, effort and discussion has been spent by members on this subject, and we were very pleased with the result that one of the many tracks ‘closed to horses’ in the Yorkley area, was opened up again to horses last year.
We were also given permission to clear a very long over-grown and almost lost track, to make a link ride/drive route in the Yorkley area. This initiative was taken by Association members at their own expense and was highly successful, but there is still a lot to do.
At last, we thought we were getting somewhere!
However, permission to continue clearing this track has recently been withdrawn by the FC, as riders have been seen on other tracks close by. If the FC are genuinely committed to improving access and facilities for riders and carriage drivers in the FOD, what a great pity they have suspended this initiative!
Conditions of tracks at this time of the year are at their worst, especially after all the wet weather we have been having. Contractors, cyclists and now the wild boar also contribute! However, tracks do become hard and dry again in the summer – they all recover. Riders need more ‘link’ tracks; it is impractical to concentrate them all onto just one or two routes.
The Association has been working for over a year with the Tourism department helping with advice on routes, permits, keys etc. They are very keen to encourage visitors from outside the area to enjoy this lovely part of the country and to use B&Bs, livery yards etc., and to add to the local economy. However, it is known that a carriage driver from Worcester requested a permit early last year and was passed from pillar to post by the FC and it took several weeks to obtain, consequently she missed out on any summer driving! Confronted with this sort of muddle, people will just give up and not come!
This is not good PR! Visitors with horses should be ‘encouraged’ to visit the Forest.
Wouldn’t it be great if the co-operation spoken about in the Concordat actually came to pass?