On 8 Aug 2015, the Deputy Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield Borough, Cllr Pat Mabbott, performed the official opening ceremony for our new bridleway off Coopers Green Lane, Northaw. The route will be known as Northaw 17 bridleway.
Thanks go to the County Council as freeholder, and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust as tenant, for being willing to agree to the bridleway creation.
The Patchetts Green Bridleways Trust started a fund raising appeal with the Annual Report in December 2014, and were delighted to raise the £1,250 needed to pay for fencing, so that the land owner would dedicate a bridleway approximately parallel to Coopers Lane Road in Northaw parish. Part of the new route will be used for the Potters Bar Community Circuit, which is under development. Special thanks go to the British Horse Society for a generous donation to the fund, to PGBT supporters and to Diane Nelson for persuading so many riders local to the path to contribute too.
We were delighted in the Spring to see the construction of the Pegasus crossing at Shenleybury. This had formed part of the Trust's Equestrian Plan for Shenley. This enables the Aldenham and Shenley Parish Rides to cross the busy road there more safely, while also slowing traffic so that school children can cross the road in safety too. The photograph shows the crossing being tried out shortly before the lights were turned on.
Nightingale Lane runs from Bournehall Lane to Bournehall Avenue, close to the Moatfield. It is a natural continuation route for riders using Bushey 55 bridleway.
The application to record the route had been made by the Bushey and District Footpaths Association (BADFA). The Trust collected evidence of use of the path on horse and by bicycle, to add to the walker evidence previously submitted by BADFA.
We were delighted to hear at the end of November that the County Council has agreed with us that this route carries bridleway rights. The County Council says that the order recording the path should be published in January 2016.
Our Secretary made this application on behalf of the British Horse Society on 4 February 2010. The County Council agreed with the application and made an order to record the route from from the road between Fairfold’s Farm and Suttons Farm, to Coopers Green Lane as a restricted byway.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Hatfield 186 and Sandridge 54) Modification Order 2012 was confirmed on 6 January 2015 by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Bishop's Stortford 8 & 9) Legal Event Modification Order 2015, made 13 Mar 2015, updated the definitive map and statement by removing a section of Bishop's Stortford 9 BW that had been stopped up in 1975 and adding a section of Bishop's Stortford 8 that had been created in 1975.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Bushey 72) Modification Order 2015, made 18 Dec 2015, proposes to add Nightingale Lane as a bridleway to the definitive map and statement.
The Hertfordshire County Council (Ardeley 3, 52 and 53, Great Munden 65, 66 and 67 and Walkern 43) Modification Order 2012, made 20 Jan 2012, proposes to record these several paths as restricted byways.
© 2025 Patchetts Green Bridleways Trust.
