A question I don't think was asked or answered in Stu's map reading blog posts, can I ride along tracks with red dots?

The reason I'm asking is I'm off to Norfolk (again) over the bank holiday and whilst there's a shortage of bridleways and byways there's lots of tracks with dots. Looking on Google Streetview there is nothing posted at either end of the track to say it's a right of way. The pic below shows some examples, the tracks can be either as shown or a dashed black line with red dots.

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/docs/l ... legend.pdf

This says ‘other route with public access’

Doesn’t say anything about not having right of way....

Red dots usually mean its an unsurfaced public road so you can take a vehicle along it. So fair game although checking the definitive map at Norfolk CC would confirm

Cheers. I'll plot some routes using them and see how I get on.

A question I don't think was asked or answered in Stu's map reading blog posts, can I ride along tracks with red dots?

From part 1.

Firstly, red dots on the map indicate a 'traffic free cycle route'. It may be part of a larger, perhaps national route or it might simply be something implemented by a local council, trust or such but you're obviously allowed to ride a bike on it. Another RoW to be aware of is 'other route with public access'. It's somewhat ambiguous as it doesn't imply who (other than the public) has access but in the majority of cases you should be fine -

C'mon Stu, it's 2019 and the internet, no fecker reads anything*

I also suggest seeing if Norfolk have their definitive map on line. Always worth remembering OS (and their products) do not show the definitive RoW, but it does usually include lots of useful info.



* with no offence intended to the OP

Edit: might be of use:

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/out-and-abou ... in-norfolk

Pirahna, i would be interested in any routes you come up with in Norfolk. I am new to this bikepacking thing, i live in Suffolk and am struggling to find decent off road routes of any distance.

‘other route with public access’, as per the OS map legend, is annoyingly vague.

It can include RoWs as well as permissive paths (no right of access but the landowner allows access). Permissive access can be rescinded at any time. There is a notorious case of this not far from me, just outside Merthyr, on national cycle route 46 where there's a short missing bit and people have to ride that bit on the Heads of the Valleys road. Not nice.

In my experience you should be ok access wise in most cases, though the surface can vary a great deal. For definitive RoW information go here:

https://www.rowmaps.com/