Green Laning

LOL Riba - When ever I take the D4 to the supermarket, no matter where I park it, even if the carpark is half empty, you can be sure someone will park next to it!

Odd when I take the 90 after a pay and play day - even if I park right at the front in a full car park - when I come back its always empty bays either side.

 

It was only a few weeks back that I parked in the COOP carpark on a Sunday with my daughter (7), the car park was empty bar 4 or 5 cars (out of 80-90 spaces) and I parked as far away as possible in a corner  - It was raining so I went to get a trolly sorted first. I came back and a "lady" was parking next to me. I squeezed between the cars just because she had parked almost on the line and stood next to my rear door to let my daughter out (I had reversed in so was stood next to her driver door) She was a large lady and there was no way she was going to get out without hitting my door! 

She wound down the window and shouted at me "will you move yourself I want to get out". Well, I'm a really laid back person in real life and quite out of character I heard myself say "Well out of all the bloody car parking spaces!"

She said "Well!" with a huff, wound the window up, drove across to the other side of the carpark and parked equally close to a new Audi - Mental!

Write your comments here...when I park the 90 up at the supermarket, I usually find it's acquired a friend when I came out along with another LR owner looking for a natter

Never worry about people parking to close to me, they can bag their doors against my rock sliders 'till the cows come home

If I can't get in out, I just climb in and out though the back door

Nice to see a bit of interest in this, I do like combining hobbies. I only started laning a few years ago so never experienced things pre NERC. 

I'm a rep for the Green Lane Association BTW (North Wales area) so if anyone needs any info or wants to get out in North Wales let me know! 

Vivien, I had a RRC a while back but didn't really get into things until I got the 90 - I miss that Range Rover though... 

Nice to see a bit of interest in this, I do like combining hobbies. I only started laning a few years ago so never experienced things pre NERC. 

I'm a rep for the Green Lane Association BTW (North Wales area) so if anyone needs any inf

Vivien, I had a RRC a while back but didn't really get into things until I got the 90 - I miss that Range Rover though... 

Write your comments here...

Vivien, I had a RRC a while back but didn't really get into things until I got the 90 - I miss that Range Rover though... 

Write your comments here...  I had two classics that were dedicated off readers and 3 show vehicles that also greenlaned.  I sent my last Rangie to be broken in December, still with the green oval but a Freelander 1 instead.  It has been off-road although I only got it last September, but it's special to me as it is one of the last off the Freelander1 production line in late September.. Well 29 th and the line stopped on the 30th! So, won't be seeing too much mud!    

I still use strips etc for towing vehicle out of mud, plus I still occasionally use my Turfor winch when needed.

i have been deafened by road noise since September and it only dawned on me on Sunday to check my tyres!  Noise found! I always have ran on AT's but the set that came with the car are M&S! Lol

so, you say North Wales rep, have you done the floating bridge between Llangollen and Bala? Or is that another lane gone to the wall?  Nice trip, and fantastic scenery on that one!  There is a caravan and camping site at Brithdir, the owner also owns the mountain! With tight bridges, moss laden lanes and a forest you can play in!

Haven’t been out for a while, what with mates getting on a bit. Some  choosing to change their 4x4s for cheaper to run road cars, some even choosing to die on me.

The very wet conditions here in the NE lately haven’t helped. 

Lots of good lanes have been lost since the NERC Act and I think quite a few more will go before it runs its full course.

Done a bit of caravanning combined with Green Laning , it can work out well as long as you know you will have some back up to get you home if things go tyres-up.  If I were you Lowlight I’d make plans then see who’s interested, I find that usually stirs more interest.

Now!!  Where are those O/S maps?

As a walker I don't have a particular problem with green laning but like everything the cowboys soon get in and destroy footpaths/bridleways with no vehicular access.  Even saw a couple in a place of SSI site.

When i did a BBC TV program we were talking walkers vs off-roaders. A geologist, a botanist and a ornathologist all went to a post NERC closed lane. Birds had left the area as it was grossly overgrown with blackberrys, as pointed out the roots destroy the ground as well as the growth of each limb of over 8 feet each year. It swallows a green one area up making it difficult for birds and animals to survive and making it impassable by foot or car.

Vehicle using a Lane On a regular basis keeps the blackberries back allowing sunlight for plants and grasses to grow and feeding birds with insects etc.

lanes that are rutted 9 times out of 10 are caused by tractors. Yes! Cowboy off-roaders can and do do damage, but it is a very low percentage. The top soil on damaged lanes is often no more than a foot deep due to clay or similar underneath, the top soil is drenched and is cut by weight and then puddles, this is start of erosion causing ruts and damage. 

The other cause of damage  lanes is by farmers ploughing in the same direction year in year, this then gives poor drainage to the field Making water to take a new route, usually to a lane. This the gets washed out!  

Many NERC closed lanes which crossed private land have now been lost forever, no-one whether walkers or motorised vehicles can use them as they are overgrown with brambles and weeds! 

Hi OH has had series 3, 4 classic RR 1 Disco then onto Japanese 1 Trooper now Toyota Landcruiser, have done a bit green laning in the past and been around WW1 graves twice where only 4x4's can go very interesting and now we go to a friends house in France via a local track quite steep and twisty no problems with the landcruiser, have taken a 110 onto Quantocks many years ago a training session from work and the instructor said why have you stopped well a red deer stag and his hinds 20 feet in front of us did not want to argue with those antlers as it was the time of the rut, fond memories.

I also find the spaces in some supermarkets a bit tight for our Mitsubishi Shogun. I try to go to the far end where there are more empty spaces but it does happen that someone can park a bit too close so that you can't get in very easily.

We have always had a 4x4, Land Rover or Jeep model of some kind. Down the years we have done quite a bit of off road driving, some on BOATs, RUPPs and some on off road driving parks. We still go to a big Jeep fest at Tong near Bradford, always a fun packed weekend. 

There is still a nice little stretch of off road between Geevor Tin Mine and bottom of St Just well worth the drive. Scenery is stunning, as is the wildlife! Passes Botallack as well, nice pub in Botallack!