A Vets View of North Dorset’s Biggest Show

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10 September 2021

Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show with Damory Veterinary Clinic

Well what a change it was to be able to get out and about again. It was so lovely to be able to catch up with clients new and old at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury show. There was such a buzz of excitement in the air and looking out from the tent seeing families and friends reunited was truly heartwarming after such a tough year with all the lockdowns and isolations.

The show for us is an opportunity to take five minutes out and have a good old chin wag with our clients and prospective clients. Something we often don’t get chance to do in today’s busy society.

Our new face hole photo board featuring some of our well-known vets went down an absolute storm. It was great seeing everyone get involved.

We had a fabulous hog roast by Rich Tory of Golden Pig hog roasts and Ice cream made by Pamphill dairy using one of our very own farmers milk, Allen Valley who you will no doubt have seen their vending machines around including in our carpark.

We like to support local businesses at events like these, as it is often so easy in this day and age to order everything online. We had beer from Barefaced brewing in Blandford, Cider from Purbeck cider and all our awesome stickers and banners were speedily printed by the amazing team at Oldfields embroidery. Without these local businesses we wouldn’t be able to pull together such a great stand.

It takes an immense amount of work and time to set up a stand and we are so lucky to have a great team here at Damory vets that pull it together each year. The two days were hard work but so rewarding, especially when we got to sneak an ice cream or two!

The final pack up was interesting as it started to chuck it down! We were totally soaked through to our knickers and battled with heavy rain to get the marquee down, even with the help of a local knight in shining armor in the form of David from Redlynch tractors, but we still had smiles on our faces at the end and that’s what its all about.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year.

By: Lucy Closier

The Ash Tree Crisis: A Disaster in the making

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Editorial team

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10 September 2021

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England fell into mourning in the 1970s as Dutch elm disease spread across the country, and yet we are reacting with insouciance to a far greater natural disaster, ash dieback. About 60m elm trees died, with a devastating impact on the landscape of East Anglia but we are witnessing the slow death of many more ash trees, albeit spread more widely. There were around 170m ash trees in the UK a few years ago, and the expectation is that up to 80% will die. The Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty estimates that ash accounts for 12% of the county’s woodland, close behind oak. The disease was first discovered in South East England in 2012, but already half of Dorset’s ash trees are infected, dying or have died. All over the county the raucous sound of chainsaws is being heard as loggers and tree surgeons remove the trees.

Ash dieback is caused by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea, resulting in leaf loss and crown dieback, but it is a slow death for the tree. It is carried on the wind and by transportation of infected trees. All ash trees are vulnerable, but particularly younger ones, while older and more isolated ones can survive. Look for leaves developing dark patches in summer, which then wilt prematurely, and long diamond-shaped lesions girdling small branches and twigs, which starve the leaves above of water. It affects new growth in particular.

The Woodland Trust estimate it will cost the UK £15bn to clear up dying trees and to offset the impact on the environment, such as the reduced level of water purification and carbon sequestration. This is higher than the reported cost of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001. There will be a major impact on wildlife. Ash trees provide an important habitat for more than 1,000 species including birds, beetles and mammals, such as the Hazel Dormouse. The Dorset landscape that Thomas Hardy extolled is changing for the worse, and the Blackmore Vale is no exception, with ash being the one of the major hedgerow trees. One of our other concerns is that local authority planning teams are not considering the adverse impact on the screening of new development projects.

How can you help? If you have an ash tree in your garden, gather up and burn all the dead leaves, however healthy the tree appears. Out walking, please clean your shoes before and after visiting a wood.

Everyone is being encouraged to plant new trees to offset climate change, but few have taken onboard the extra need to replace the ash trees. Dorset CPRE are funding Trees for Dorset to plant new trees in Purbeck, and North Dorset CPRE are open to requests for funding to support planting in North Dorset on public land (please email [email protected]).

Get planting!

Rupert Hardy, Chairman, North Dorset CPRE

Dahlia Mania

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Editorial team

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10 September 2021

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Dahlias are a lot like marmite you either love them or hate them! A lot of people remember their grandparents, the couple next door or someone growing them on their allotment. Well I’m here to tell that you are to forget those horrors of the 1970’s and embrace the new varieties of the 2020’s. They come in all shapes and sizes and this is where it begins to get quite technical, I promise I won’t bore you so please stick with me. I believe there are 14 classification groups in the UK and America has 20 (well they would wouldn’t they). Dahlia bloom range in size from a tiny pom pom at around 5cms diameter , these are the tight ball dahlias to a whopping 25cms or more and these are often referred to as dinner plate dahlias and really are the size of a dinner plate and often bigger.

Dahlias don’t have a very long vase life which makes importing them from the Netherlands or elsewhere almost a waste of time, which is great for English growers.. None the less they make a great statement flower and certain varieties are in huge demand with brides as the must have flower in your bouquet, the chosen ones at the moment are ‘Café au Lait’ which has beautiful tones of creamy pink and beige, ‘Wizard of Oz’ with a pale pink centre and a white tiny pom pom called ‘Small World’.

Each year I have a new favourite,.one year it was a dahlia called ‘Labyrinth’ which has pink and peach petals but this proved incredibly difficult to get hold of as a warehouse in Holland was burnt to the ground destroying hundreds of thousands of tubers however I tracked it down and I’m always so happy to see it flower. It amazes me how such ugly looking potato-like tubers produce such amazingly beautiful flowers and such huge plants. Dahlias are so simple to grow you pop them in the ground after all signs of frost have passed, maybe scatter your chosen form of slug repellent (I don’t use the chemical kind) and sit back and be rewarded with vase after vase of beautiful blooms. Even better order a bucket of these beauties from me. https://northcombe.co.uk

By: Charlotte Tombs

The Common Carder Bumblebee

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Editorial team

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10 September 2021

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It seems hard to believe that Autumn is just around the corner. There are few tangible signs yet to herald its imminent arrival… trees and hedgerows are still fully clothed in vibrant lush greens; the garden is abuzz with insects; and swallows are swirling and swooshing in the sky above our house, showing no sign whatsoever that they are soon to begin their epic journey back to Africa.

But change is in the air. Though there are still plenty of bees collecting nectar and pollen from our flowering plants, I am beginning to notice fewer ‘types’ of bumblebee visitors. The life-cycles of most bumblebees are now over for this year. Fresh new queens have already emerged, mated, and gone into hibernation – whilst workers, males, and colony founding queens are no longer with us.

There is one particular species though, that always lingers longer than the others; namely Bombus pascuorum – the Common Carder bumblebee. Common Carders are one of my favourite bee species. I can’t quite put my finger on why this might be, something to do with their gentle demeanour perhaps – and the fact they never complain when disturbed. Not to mention their pretty colouring, which is usually referred to as ‘ginger’ but actually varies from from foxy orange, through rusty brown, to faded gold. The hairs on their sides are mostly creamy white, but sometimes yellow. These bees vary hugely in size as well, so you would be forgiven, as you watched a group foraging together on a flowering plant, for thinking you were looking at half a dozen different species.
 Common Carder bumblebees have one of the longest life-cycles of any bumblebee, the colony carrying on producing new workers, males, and daughter queens, well into September, and often into October too. In fact I have this very afternoon come across an active nest, in an old stone wall in the lane near our house, and the bees weren’t even slightly put out as I filmed their comings and goings. Old stone walls are not where I would expect to find this species nesting (which is why I was filming them), as they are noted for nesting above ground, often in tussocky grass, where the founding queen makes use of moss and dry grass to cover their nest

So if you see a beautiful ginger looking bumblebee this month in your garden, or whilst you are out and about on your walks, take a closer look… she’s probably a Common Carder bumblebee.

By: Brigit Strawbridge

Thomas Hardy too miserable to read | Tales from the Vale

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Editorial team

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10 September 2021

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I expected a storm of complaints about my last column which had a bit of a go at ‘famous Dorset novelist’ Thomas Hardy – he of the droopy moustache and even more wilting marriage to a woman who (understandably) rather went off him.

I rattled on about his misery and bleak view on life. And I explained the rather ludicrous plot of his most famous work, Tess of the Ds.

But almost everybody who bothered to read the piece and who then had the even greater misfortune of seeing me, said they agree. And a female friend in the village said, ‘you’re right, he’s a miserable bastard.’ My friend is rather well spoken and abhors swearing so you can see the strength of her view.

And my old mate (MA in English Lit) said, ‘Have you read The Mayor of Casterbridge? Give us your opinion in the next digital Blackmore Vale Magazine.’

Well, yes I have read it – and it wasn’t the most uplifting few hours of my life – in fact by the time I arrived at the predictably bleak end (after the dreary beginning and unlikely middle) I felt like summoning Jeeves and calling for a restorative Brandy & S (not that I like brandy. Or have a man servant).

And I’m happy to tell you the plot. It’ll save you reading it. But first, let’s recall Tess. In Tess, you’ll remember that the tale implausibly hangs on the fact that two-faced wimp (this is proper non-London book reviewing, this is Dorset book reviewing) Angel Clare was given a letter from Tess explaining (before they got married) that she’d been raped and the ensuing child (called Sorrow, not the greatest start in life) had died. But the letter was slipped under his door and went under a rug and was unread. We’ll leave aside the fact that it’s literally impossible, to do this. I have tried. Pity Thom didn’t – might have had a happy ending and sold more copies. His wife might have thought he was the tops.

In the Mayor of Casterbridge, you won’t be surprised to learn that the plot hinges again on letters going awry, in this case by disgraced ex-mayor Michael Henchard returning incriminating old love letters to his ex-flame, Lucetta, now the shiny new wife of the new mayor, Donald Farfrae (he’s Scottish, you’ll note).

How does Henchard convey these explosive letters to Lucetta in a way that ensures her sordid past will never be known, so that she and Donald (he’s still Scottish) enjoy marital bliss and a public aura of spotless virtue?

Logic again suggests that Hardy perhaps, just perhaps, should have Henchard personally putting the incriminating letters directly into the hands of Lucetta.

But no. That’s too sensible. It’s not Thom’s way. There’s a danger of a happy ending.

Henchard, although now unemployed and idle, is ‘too busy’ to do this (obviously he’s playing Grand Theft Oxen-Drawn Haycart V) so he hands the letters over to a known wretch, Jopp, who Henchard himself continually belittled, then fired, and therefore might, just might, have a grudge against Henchard.

Result: Jopp takes the letters down the pub, probably Ye Olde Wetherspoons, hands them around and, despite literacy at the time being negligible for such people, everyone has a good read (pointing out grammatical errors, howlers with syntax, clever use of tautology) and the disgraced Henchard ends-up dying in a hovel on Egdon Heath. And poor Lucetta and Donald are made figures of fun probably but I skipped the end due to the unremitting misery and pressing the bell for Jeeves again. By the time the reader gets to the end she/he realises that that’s another few hours they’ll never get back, all thanks to Hardy being cited as ‘Dorset’s Great Novelist.’

So, for me, while interesting for its historical sociological points, Hardy don’t cut the mustard as literature. I don’t care if it’s artisan mustard lovingly hand-made and sold at a typically successful function in Mappowder village hall, but he don’t cut it. And he could have cheered up a bit. And trimmed that ‘tache.

Further academic notes on great novels that’ll help students sail through GCSEs are available on application from Vale University Audiobooks (Copyright).

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Right, the editor’s told me to put some funny-ish stuff in and mention some local people, so I’ll add this: further on the topic of novelists, this time a great, hugely successful living novelist, and young female one at that. I refer to the world famous Tracy Chevalier who, as I write this, is in the Piddle Valley working on her next book which I have no doubt will be another international best seller.

But her response in this issue to a reader’s letter in the last issue did make me smile.

Now what really tickles me about this is Ms Chevalier, despite working hard every day on her new book, and also dealing with a thousand requests from literary magazines and university students all over the world, was still intrigued enough to go out and buy different flavoured crisps to see if her initial judgement that ‘Plain is Sane’ is correct.

Talking of wasps…

In the village shop nearby is a hand written card in the window saying, ‘Wasps Nest Destroyed. £20. Senior Citizens £15.‘

Now I know what they’re saying, but it don’t look good.

Perhaps a mistake?

And on the subject of misreading, there’s a vegan Thai restaurant in Dorch called B8 Café off Trinity Street.

You pronounce the name bait (B Eight) which is London street slang for something that’s unusual but attractive.

And ‘bait’ is a good name as the food looks absolutely fantastic – see their website (LAURA DO THE HONOURS).

Their website says it is still open for take-aways but the restaurant is remaining closed’ then they add, ‘we apologise for the incontinence.’ I’d like to think they meant inconvenience.

My wife says they’ve done it on purpose so they get talked about. Seems to have worked.

More good food

My local, The Antelope in Hazelbury Bryan, has introduced a mouth-watering inexpensive tapas menu. We popped in on a Saturday lunchie not intending to eat. Rhiannon showed us the menu. And we ate. Despite getting second degree burns from the stuffed jalapeno peppers, it was terrific.

My wife ordered fries with hers. Rhiannon’s hub came out to see if we enjoyed it. ‘The fries were amazing,’ Kae said, pulling the dish away from my predatory eye.

‘They’re triple-cooked,’ Greg said proudly.

I just couldn’t resist it.

I said,‘If you’d done them properly first time round, you’d only have to fry them once,’

I just can’t not say these things.

Greg fixed me with ‘the look.’ He had a mask on, but I’m sure he was smiling?

What is a ‘Gentleman?’

‘What’s the definition of a gentleman,’ I was asked by Pete, who, with Sue, runs The Old Chapel stores in Buckland Newton.

Without waiting , he gleefully supplied the answer, ‘it’s a man who can play the bagpipes, but doesn’t.’

Then Pete chuckled at his own wit, while Sue and I shared a sorrowful glance.

Dolly’s best quote

I teach guitar and had a new lovely new little student, a girl aged 10 who wanted to play the Taylor Swift song, Shake it Off. It struck me that these are the same opening chords as Jolene, by the great Dolly Parton.

The little girl’s mum and gran were in my Studio too, so I told them Dolly’s best quote. ‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.’

Brief Encounter

There’s a charming note in the window of the lovely old sweet shop by the Abbey in Sherborne.

The advert is from ‘Dave’ who got talking to a lady on the train from Bath to Sherbers. Obviously they got on well. Obviously love-lorn Dave was too embarrassed to suggest they swop phone numbers. But in the note he asks the lady to give him a call (number provided) as he’s keen to meet up.

Now, it takes courage to do that and I hope he doesn’t get too many prank calls and I dearly wish Dave and the lady meet up, continue to get on, get married and have lots of happy children. If he reads this perhaps he’ll let us know.

All reminiscent of the 1945 David Lean film where Trevor Howard, helping Celia Johnson remove a piece of grit from her eye, says, ‘Aye heppen to be aye doctor’ in that affected upper-class voice used at the time where the ‘e’ is substituted for ‘a’.

They go on to meet regularly – which was a bit saucy in 1945 as the lady was married.

But apart from it being very funny, it allows me to muse on this regarding the film.

Celia, very upset by the painful farewell with Trevor (‘Aym going to Efrica’, don’t think he’s that specific about where, maybe Elgeria) and returns to her dull but worthy husband who, knowing something’s afoot, pleasantly says ‘Whatever your dream was, it wasn’t a heppy one was it.’ No. ‘You’ve been a long wey awey …thenk you for coming beck to me’ and gives her a hug, which maybe he should have done before she strayed.

Now I’m pretty convinced that somewhere in the film, Celia’s husband, doing a crossword, reads out a clue which is from the poet Keats ‘When I behold upon the night-starred face, huge cloudy symbols of a high……’ (7).

Well, that’s the clue. What’s the answer?

Here’s another clue – the answer is what is missing in their relationship.

And for the first correct answer pulled out of a hat, Laura the editor will give the winner an M&S chocolate biscuit. Just one biscuit, not the whole pack.

She’s like that, you see.

By: Andy Palmer

Love Local Trust Local Food & Drink Awards – Your Last Call!

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Editorial team

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10 September 2021

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We appear to be fast approaching September; the end of the summer, the start of schooling (touch wood, but it’s looking good!), and the countdown to deadline for the last entries to the Love Local Trust Local Food & Drink Awards 2021.

The team at Love Local Trust Local have really enjoyed seeing your entries come in. But if you thought it was too late to enter your business, you need not worry – there is still time!

Love Local Trust Local are looking for local food and drink producers who want to share their passion for their category. The food and drink awards feature categories for the best in dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables, baking, jams and condiments, plus a variety of drinks categories, from alcoholic to non-alcoholic.

There are also some stand-out categories for businesses who offer something a bit different; the Rising Star award is aimed at businesses younger than two years or owned by founders under 30 years of age who are bringing something a bit different to the table.

Larger organisations are now able to enter the Innovation & Diversification, and the Conservation & Sustainability categories. The team received interest from bigger companies who wanted to get involved in these local awards, to showcase the value they were making to impact the local community and the local economy. This prompted Love Local Trust Local to divide these categories into two classes; businesses with 30 employees or under, and businesses with over 30 employees.

The sustainability and diversity categories are so critical to the growth and sustainability of our communities, so this year hopes to unveil some great developments for businesses both big and small, following what was a considerably tough year for us all.

Love Local Trust Local was borne out of a passion for supporting our local food and drink producers, a responsibility to educate the consumer on what they are eating and drinking and how to ensure you know exactly what it is and where it comes from. The organisation is also an active supporter of keeping the local community connected, rallying together to fulfil a greater collective purpose.

The array of categories involved in these awards really help to achieve that goal.

Love Local Trust Local pride these awards on being free to enter, removing any barriers to young or smaller businesses from entering. It is so critical that our food producers, past, present and future, get noticed and recognised within the community, which is the core purpose of the Love Local Trust Local Food & Drink Awards.

The closing date for the 2021 awards is Monday 27^th September, so make sure you give your company a chance to get the elevation it deserves. If you’re not a food producer, why not recommend a business you think deserves to get recognised?!

To support the Love Local Trust Local Food and Drink Awards 2021, you can follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, for all the latest news and updates. You can also pop on over to the Rawston Farm Butchery & Shop to purchase your tea towel or car sticker to show your support for the cause.

Enter here to get your business on the shortlist!

How Cheesecakes Beat My Anxiety

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Editorial team

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9 September 2021

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Dorset’s Creative Cheesecake Maker Celebrates a First Anniversary

Layers of colourful fruits and chunks of chocolate cake toppings draw you into the delicious looking images. It all looks like a scene from a sumptuous feast or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but this is Dorset and a new business is making waves with its bespoke cheesecakes. The creations are a world apart from the standard flat based cheesecake most of us associate with the dessert- but who is the person behind all this creative genius?

Lemon Curd Cream Cheese on a digestive biscuit base topped to the brim with a variety of fresh summer fruit and a mixture of chocloates.

The Dorset Cheesecake Company is celebrating its first birthday, having commenced business in the first lockdown. Owner, Kate Pemble talked to me from her workshop in Corfe Mullen about how it all started.

“I was furloughed in the first lockdown and then had issues with anxiety. My husband and I came up with something to keep me busy and to take my mind off things.”

Kate had always made cheesecakes for friends and family, but stepping out into a wider customer base was her vision – and the Dorset Cheesecake Company was born.

“We just decided to convert a spare bedroom into a dedicated kitchen and sell a few cheesecakes.” Little did Kate know the demand for something different would see the business grow significantly. She had already noticed an opportunity in the market for her no bake cakes.

A Cadbury Dairy milk and Mint Aero swirl cheesecake with a Cadbury chocolate drip, Mint Aero bar and Mint Aero balls, Cadbury Dairy Milk bar and buttons, Reeses chocolates, cups and bar, mint Club Bar, mint KitKat, After Eight mints and bites, Lindor white chocolate truffles, giant rainbow lolly pops, rainbow sprinkles, shimmer glitter and perfectly finished off with a colourful rainbow Happy Birthday topper!

“There are so many cupcakes out there- I just saw a gap and went for it. People are looking for something different.”

If you thought cheesecakes just come in strawberry or vanilla flavours (or even a packet from the supermarket), you are in for a treat. At the Dorset Cheesecake Company there are literally thousands of combinations that will blow your mind. To start, there’s the biscuit base. Will it be Biscoff, shortbread, or Oreo? Then there’s the main filling and the flavours you can have from mint chocolate to lemon curd and strawberry (that’s just a few to get you started). Many of the cakes are decorated with a chocolate or other flavoured drip. And as for toppings, it seems that anything goes from fresh fruit to Percy Pigs, and a range of chocolates and sprinkles. I even spotted a chocolate hippo on one masterpiece.

So what was the most unusual cake that Kate created? “It started out with an Oreo cookie base, a chocolate orange cream cheese filling, a Biscoff drip, and a Reese’s peanut butter choc orange topping. It sounded weird but the customer was delighted.”

One of the most popular designs is a strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake. Each cake made by Kate is slightly different and the customer gets to choose the design they want for their special occasion or treat. Your imagination could literally run wild with the amount of combinations available. Her first Christmas was a busy one with 10-15 cakes a day being produced.

Pretty pink and yellow cheesecake, a special commission for a little girls birthday party

The beautifully designed cheesecakes are on Kate’s social media channels where a lot of customers find her. That, and word of mouth of course.- they are a talking point at any party. She also makes mini cheesecakes which are popular with a girls (or lads) night in or special treat.

Kate’s plans for the future include expanding her no bake range of products, opening a shop, and providing a delivery service. At the moment the cakes are collection only.

Just looking at the designs is enough to get anyone in the mood for a celebration. They radiate joy with their colourful and tempting array of toppings and decorative touches. The Dorset Cheesecake Company is another innovative local food producer raising the game with desserts and leading us all into temptation with their creations.

To order a cake, visit The Dorset Cheesecake Company on Facebook or Instagram or phone 07590 544577

By: Rachael Rowe

Why we have food poverty in North Dorset

By

Editorial team

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9 September 2021

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It’s almost a year since the first rural food pantry in England opened in Sturminster Newton. Back then, a lot of people were surprised at the numbers of people needing support. That hasn’t gone away, but there are several stories to celebrate from Vale Pantry, demonstrating how it is making a big difference to people’s lives.

Carole Jones vale pantry – Image by: ***Rachael Rowe***

Carole Jones is passionate about Vale Pantry which she set up with the Blackmore Vale Partnership. “It’s the best thing I have ever done,” she says. Today, 190 families or individuals are being supported. They pay £4.50 a week and can collect a range of foods from the pantry in Sturminster Newton. Fruit and vegetables are free. Since starting last year, 149 individuals or families who were originally helped, no longer need the services of Vale Pantry as they have been successfully supported through a difficult patch in their lives for example, or found work.

Carole and her team have also been looking deeper into the underlying issues that cause food poverty and why it is happening in North Dorset. They found several common threads. Carole explained: “A number of our clients have autistic children or a child with special educational needs. Typically, these children are not diagnosed until five years old. Up to then there is no firm diagnosis so the mums are often isolated. They cannot work or join the usual play groups, are embarrassed and isolated because of the child’s behaviour. Things we take for granted such as a supermarket visit can become a major experience. They are very isolated and stressed and can get depression. We also see older mothers with an autistic child now in their 30’s or 40’s and they are completely on their own. What we have done is set up a support group for these people and their children so they can share experiences and learn coping strategies. The kids can make as much noise as they like and it won’t matter.”

The group will start in September. Another theme emerging from the project are the numbers of people using the Pantry who have fibromyalgia. The debilitating symptoms often prevent them from working, leading to food poverty. The team have linked to Stour Connect so that this group of people can access hydrotherapy to help relieve their symptoms and improve their health so they can hopefully get back into the workplace. It’s an excellent example of how social prescribing works.

Vale Pantry Produce – Image by: ***Carole Jones***

Carole’s team have also encountered people who are unsure how to cook a family meal. They have started producing recipe bags with an instruction card and all the ingredients they need to produce the dish. This week it’s tuna pasta bake.

The pavement outside the Pantry has also turned into a makeshift classroom as two schools recently sent pupils to learn about food poverty and social enterprises.

The team are very appreciative of the donations of fresh food from farms and allotment growers. Gold Hill Organics are just one of the local businesses providing fresh vegetables. Carole explained the difference that can make to someone.

“We had a couple using the pantry. She was unwell and her husband was unable to leave her. They had a budget of £20 for food and had to bulk buy in Lidl so could afford very few fresh products. The Vale Pantry gave them access to fresh fruit and vegetables as well as other foods. As a result their physical and emotional health and well-being has improved.”

There are opportunities for two more volunteers to support the pantry. The team are also looking for any offers of money or food to keep the service running. They are also preparing to become a registered charity.

It’s quite remarkable how making nourishing food more accessible to vulnerable people can make a big difference to their health and well-being. And by getting under the skin of the causes of food poverty, people can be supported in a more sustainable way.

To contact Vale Pantry email or phone [email protected] or call 07968 348481. Details on how to register for support are here.

By: Rachael Rowe

The Bridleways We’re Losing – And What you Can Do About It.

By

Laura

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9 September 2021

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How many of us have met barriers at the end of a bridlepath, usually where the Parish boundary has turned the route into a footpath?

Or an unclassified road, maybe marked as an Other Right of Public Access (ORPA), that is unrideable?

Your local Bridleways Access Officer may be able to help – or you might be able to help them by following these steps below.

On 1 January 2026, bridleways in England and Wales that aren’t formally recorded will be lost to the public.

Our aim is to safeguard bridleways for public use so that equestrians today and in the future have safe off-road routes to ride on.

These unrecorded routes actually exist in law, but have never been registered on the definitive map, the legal record of public rights of way.

An unclassified Road, that used to be rideable in the 1980s

Just because you currently ride on a route doesn’t mean it’s recorded and protected from being removed. In England, horse riders only have access to 22% of public rights of way; the more of the off-road network we lose, the more horses will have to be ridden on today’s ever more dangerous roads.

The British Horse Society are committed to protecting and preserving the equestrian off-road network. Working together we can ensure that the routes you ride are accurately recorded as safe off-road routes. Here is our step by step guide to check your favourite routes and rides are recorded correctly:

Look at an Ordnance Survey explorer 1:25,000 scale map. It is important to take the time to understand the key to the map. You can view the OS map for free by using Bing Maps (click on the road icon in the top right and select ‘Ordnance Survey’.
Find the routes you ride and check to see if they are marked as a Bridleway, Restricted byway or a Byway open to all traffic (BOAT). If the route is marked correctly you do not need to do anything else!
If your route isn’t marked as one of the above, or if it is marked as something different, you can double check on the local authority’s map – see Dorset’s here
Check if the route is marked as a Bridleway, Restricted byway or a BOAT. If the route is marked correctly you do not need to do anything else, it is safe!
If you have followed these steps and you do not think the route you ride is recorded correctly, you can log your route using the BHS form here or save the route yourself using the BHS’ ‘2026 Toolkit’.

A footpath that needs an upgrade to bridleway or Restricted Byway.

If you would like to find out if someone has already applied for a Definitive Map Modification Order please click here.

by Sara Greeenwood

BHS Assistant Bridleways Officer
BHS AI, UKCC L2
PC Area 14 Centre Co-ordinator
PC Assessor E-AH test
RDA Coach