Hills can be enjoyed by everyone – custodians (From Ledbury Reporter)

Hills can be enjoyed by everyone – custodians

11:50am Tuesday 17th April 2012 in Ledbury By Neil Watts

THE Malvern Hills can be enjoyed by all if used sensibly and responsibly, that is the message from their custodians and the county council.

With the presence of mountain bikes on the hills recently a subject of great debate on the letters pages of your Malvern Gazette, both the Malvern Hills Conservators and Worcestershire County Council have outlined how those taking to the great outdoors can co-exist.

Kevin Oliver, the county council’s countryside access manager, said the authority has responsibility for the management of recorded public rights of way but some specific responsibilities were shared with the Conservators.

He said: “In the vast majority of circumstances, different users can happily share and enjoy public bridleways, provided they behave sensibly and considerately.

“Simple steps can be taken such as walkers looking and listening out for cyclists and cyclists slowing down and sounding their bell as they approach walkers.”

Ian Rowat, director of the Conservators, said: “The message we give out in our code of conduct is that cyclists should give way to other users and the British Camp is an ancient monument with no bridleways and the lower path from Blackhill to the Wyche on the Herefordshire side is cycle and horserider free.”

He added: “All bridleways are marked on an Ordnance Survey map and I suggest those with an interest in this topic look closely at the map. We have often been asked to mark the bridleways, I once calculated that there would be 82 signposts on the hills and 88 on the commons.”

For more information on public rights of way, go online to worcestershire.gov.uk/countryside and follow the ‘Interactive Maps’ link.