As a result of development at Shenleybury in 2010, the route of Shenley 13 bridleway passes through a car park. The British Horse Society and the PGBT Trustees objected to this as it would result in a less commodeous path. As a result, the developers offered a new bridleway skirting their property.
The legal work was completed on 26 Mar 04, and the path, Shenley 41 bridleway, came into use once the physical construction and planting had been completed. Unfortunately, the Borough Council agreed to 3m (10ft) of the path being a hard surface with 1m (3ft 3in) being grass. The Trust preferred more grass, as the line of Shenley 13, which is already hard, was suitable for walkers and cyclists. We were delighted when the developer just left the entire surface as grass!
The Shenleybury Public Path Creation Agreement 2004 created the path, and the County Council modified the definitive map to record the route in 2010.
Shenley 42 bridleway forms part of the H25 London Orbital Bridleroute, and one of the community circuits planned by the Trust and BHS for the area: the Shenley Parish Ride.
It was created as a bridleway part of a planning gain associated with adjacent development works. Most of it had previously been open as an experimental permissive path by agreement with the landowner. We are delighted that the experiment was successful, and the whole path is now permanent.
We were delighted when a planning gain opportunity was successful off Delta Gain this year. We had asked that as part of the planning permission considered by Three Rivers District Council, they ask that Bridleway 17 be widened, as it adjoins the site. The developer (who had been helpful to riders in the past) readily agreed, and so the narrow unwelcoming path is now at least 4m wide, more in places. We thank Mr Kebbell and Kebbell Holdings Ltd for thinking of riders here. The legal work was completed in January.
The improvement to this piece of bridleway encouraged Three Rivers to formally record the bridleway status of the part of the route (then shown as a footpath). On 18 June, an agreement between Three Rivers and County established the bridleway status.
We now just wait for Network Rail to complete the work they promised the BHS in the mid 1990s. The route is open and available for use as part of the H25 London Orbital Bridleroute, but we do need to get the middle section added to the definitive map before the cut off date!
During the BHS Year of Access and Riding Rights of Way (ARROW) in the early 1990s, the survey of riding routes for the area by the Patchetts Green Riding Club found that this ridden bridge over the M1 motorway to join Hilfield Lane to Hilfield Lane South was only recorded as a footpath. An application was made to have it recognised as a bridleway in 1996.
Our application, with the British Horse Society, to record the bridge was made in 1996, and turned down by the County Council in 2007. An appeal was lodged with the Secretary of State whic was granted on 15 March 2010. The County Council made the order to record the route as a bridleway on 23 April 2010 and it was confirmed unopposed on 30 July 2010.
Prior to about 2004, the status of Blackbird’s Lane was not in doubt. However, the county council's web site then changed to record it as being public only from Kemprow to Blackbirds Farm. This didn't explain, of course,
where the Sewage Works bridleway (Aldenham 74) went where it met
Blackbirds Lane, nor how it was that many riders had been using this path for as long as anyone can remember.
Worse still, in April 2006, a new gate appeared at the southern end. This was viewed as a clear attempt to bring the public’s right to use the path into question, and so it was necessary vigorously to defend the lane.
Because there was doubt over its status, an application was made to record the route. The historical evidence showed a continuous route from Kemprow to Crab Lane. The County Council agreed with the evidence submitted and made an order recording the route as a restricted byway, that is, a route for walkers, riders, cyclists and cariage drivers.
The inquiry was held on 17 and 18 Mar 2010 in Radlett. The Inspector agreed with restricted byway status and decided to record an increased width on part of the route. Accordingly it was necessary to readvertise the modified order before it was confirmed. This was done, and the order was subsequently confirmed on 6 Dec 2010.
Budget constraints delayed the upgrading work to convert Watford Rural 4 footpath into a bridleway. We are told that this cannot now happen before at least April 2011. We continue to press for the legal work to be completed even if any physical works take longer, before any of the affected landowners change their minds!
The Hertfordshire County Council (Shenley 41) Legal Event Modification Order 2010, made 5 Mar 2010, added the bridleway dedicated in the Shenleybury Public Path Creation Agreement 2004 to the definitive map and statement.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Aldenham 82) Modification Order 2008, made 26 Jun 2008 and confirmed 6 Dec 2010, added Blackbirds Lane to the definitive map and statement as a restricted byway.
The Three Rivers District Council Watford Rural 17 Bridleway Creation Agreement 2010, made 18 Jun 2010, (re-)dedicated the part belonging to Three Rivers District Council as bridleway, so enabling its recording.
The Redwell Wood Farm Public Path Creation Agreement 2010, made 2 Jul 2010, created a bridleway linking Ridge 13 and Ridge 34 to avoid development traffic.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Ridge 37, 39 and Shenley 39) Modification Order 2009, made 30 Oct 2009, proposes to add a bridleway to the definitive map and statement.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Aldenham 83) Modification Order 2009, made 9 Oct 2009, proposes to add Oakridge Lane (the River Ride) to the definitive map and statement as part restricted byway, part byway open to all traffic.
The High Court judgment in the case of Herrick v Kidner, [2010] PTSR 1804, [2010] EWHC 269 (Admin), was issued. The judge said that any structure erected within the legal extent of the footpath was an illegal obstruction and must be removed.
© 2025 Patchetts Green Bridleways Trust.
