Annotated map reproduced courtesy of Googlemaps.
This route will run from almost opposite Wheatsheaf Farm, parallel to Well End Road, with an exit on the short Shenley 1 bridleway, or by using the permissive route roughly parallel to London Road to the Shenley 17 bridleway and the London Road verge route.
✔ Tenant agreement
✔ Funding
✔ Legal Work in progress
✔ Physical Work summer 2024
During the work to assist the County Council's travel plan for Shenley, local riders said that they would like to be able to ride along a verge of London Road and Silver Hill to make the route from Well End to Crossoaks to Shenley safer. This part has been achieved. Subsequent research showed that riders would like this route extended along Well End Road as well, if land could be found.
In 2015, the Trust worked hard to get agreement in principle to create the southern extension to the route, parallel to Well End Road, from almost opposite Wheatsheaf Farm to the junction of High Canons and Silver Hill. By 2017, we had raised over £1,000 (in cash or pledges, including from local and national British Horse Society contributions) towards the costs of the physical and legal work needed to make it all happen. In 2017, the Trust completed the legal work with one of the owners, the Wrotham Park Settled Estate, to upgrade the part of the route on their land, leaving one more section to complete.
On 4 June 2020, Hertsmere Borough Council published the order to divert footpath Shenley 3 to a new alignment, shown as orange on the plan to the left. When the order is confirmed, it will be upgraded to bridleway.
On 13 March 2024, Hertsmere Borough Council's Cabinet approved the conditional dedication of the bridleway, to be effective once the footpath diversion order is confirmed.
On 23 May 2024, Hertsmere Borough Council's planning committee unanimously approved
- That Planning Committee approves and authorises the making of the proposed Conditional Bridleway Deed of Dedication, to enable it to take effect if and when the associated Footpath Diversion Order (FP Shenley 003) at Well End Activity Centre, made by the Council in 2020, is confirmed by the Secretary of State (SoS) for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Note: The Diversion Order has not yet been submitted to the SoS.
- That the Head of Legal & Democratic Services negotiate, execute and complete the Deed of Dedication for the Council.
There are now two remaining topics in the objections to the order:
- One asking for the route to be surfaced enough so that it doesn't become founderous in the wet months. This work is due to happen in 2024.
- One person saying that he didn't want the footpath diverted at all.
Once these actions are taken, the last objector will be asked one final time if he will withdraw so that the Scouts campsite can exclude strangers from the tent area on the old route of the footpath. If he does, then Hertsmere will confirm the order. If not, Hertsmere will send the order to the Secretary of State for confirmation.
