You’re Not Welcome Here
Landowners resort to dangerous tactics to deter greenlaners driving historic track in Wales
WHITESTONE IS a brilliant greenlane in North Wales that runs between Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog and Plas Nantyr, Llangollen, but it hides a very dark secret. This scenic track has everything – from stream crossings and stunning views to places where the bedrock will tip you sideways towards an adjacent stream if you take your eye off the ball for just one second.
It’s a popular lane with walkers, mountain bikers, horse riders and 4x4 users alike, but over the past few years some locals have resorted to unlawful methods to deter lawful users of this pubic right of way.
A handful of local residents would like to see vehicles banned from this lane and have taken matters into their own hands. At first, the action taken was fairly low-level, with homemade ‘Road Closed’ and ‘Police Warning’ signs placed by access gates, but recently their actions have taken a more sinister turn.
Landowners resort to dangerous tactics to deter greenlaners from driving historic track in Wales, reports Ian Broadhurst
Early last year, the measures escalated and bath-sized concrete road blocks were placed in the road, causing an unlawful obstruction of what is a public highway. Large tree stumps were also placed in the middle of the lane to prevent further progress by drivers.
Many of these obstructions were placed in locations where it was impossible to turn around, leaving drivers with no alternative but to reverse back out of the lane. This was inconvenient, but the next desperate measure adopted by the anti-4x4 fanatics was to prove much more dangerous.
The website run by the North Wales branch of the Green Lane Association (GLASS) received reports from 4x4 users on this lane having their tyres spiked by improvised caltrops and other metal items deliberately concealed in the road.
Caltrops are spikes that protrude from a base (like the ones pictured) and were used centuries ago in war to immobilise cavalry horses. The ones placed on this lane have been sharpened to puncture tyres of vehicles, but if a horse was to step upon one, it could cause it serious injury or cause it to bolt and thus serious injury – or worse – to its rider.
There were also frequent reports of pieces of sharp metal buried in the road and concealed with stones, obviously aimed at puncturing the tyres of vehicles using the route. Photographs were submitted showing the damage caused to peoples’ vehicles which, as I’m sure you will appreciate, is a criminal offence in itself.
One driver reported that during a trip along this lane, three tyres on his vehicle had been punctured. It was unacceptable – and something had to be done. Drivers said they were even more concerned for the safety of other, more vulnerable, users of this lane, such as ramblers, dog walkers, mountain bike riders and horse riders.
Because of this danger to horses and mountain bike riders, the local police have now become involved.
Last summer, a walk along the lane was organised by members of GLASS and a surprising number of offending items were discovered. As a result, we decided to launch an appeal to raise funds to buy a metal detector so that the entire lane could be scanned and all the booby-traps removed to prevent any further damage to vehicles and injury to animals.
Within two weeks, GLASS had raised enough funds to buy two metal detectors and Dafed Taylor, Duncan Barrett, John Pierson, Darren Henson, Chris Henson and Darren Preston started the task of clearing the lane over the next couple of weekends.
When the whole of the lane was scanned using the metal detectors, a surprising array of spikes, caltrops and nails were found along the route, as shown in the photographs. Some were buried in the ground, some concealed and others even placed underwater in river crossings.
Darren Henson said: “There’s no excuse to put these in the lanes, it could endanger life. Some people just don’t want us driving there.”
Local police say they are aware of the situation and it is hoped this reckless and dangerous activity will now cease.