Making tracks for the secret byways of Yorkshire

Have you ever thought of driving in the real countryside, off the minor roads yet still on the Queen’s public highways? Classed as green lanes and byways there are many such off-road routes throughout the county where it is legal to drive and enjoy that feeling of being well and truly off the beaten track.

Knowledge and experience are the key words here, along with an appropriate vehicle that won’t cost you thousands of pounds in new parts and repairs should your journey go horribly wrong. I’m certainly not touting that you embark on this exercise without help or at least without some form of getting yourself out of a pickle.

One of the other problems is that driving on green lanes is frowned upon by some in the countryside, notably farmers wondering why you might be travelling nearer to their farms than you would be if on an asphalt surface, fearing rustling or some form of crime.

They also know the routes and where every rut and hazard may be and see only another idiot getting stuck along with the realisation that they will be the first port of call when you do.

Green lanes are certainly not to be taken for granted. Queen’s public highways they may be, but don’t imagine for one minute that they are anything but a challenge.

There are also those who feel that green lanes are purely for their own pleasure as walkers and cyclists. They often take exception to having their tranquil Sunday stroll in the hills infected by motor engines of any kind.

Russell Dykes of South Duffield is the “go to” man if you’re thinking of trying your luck on the green lanes of the Yorkshire Wolds and North York Moors. He’s fully aware of the reticence of those in the countryside who don’t want this kind of traffic and has launched a business that he believes looks after both sides of the green lanes debate.

“The Yorkshire Wolds are stunningly attractive. They are a beautiful area of Yorkshire and yet are often ignored by the general public who only know about the Dales and Moors. The villages are extremely pretty and the rolling hills and valleys have played a large part in my life. I’ve been involved with Land Rovers for most of my working life and I know the Wolds and the green lanes very well.

“Many people walking, cycling or riding on horseback have no idea that they are travelling on an unpaved Queen’s public highway and that all of the rules of a normal road technically apply; but there are different ‘Right of Way’ signs and you must know your area, have an Ordnance Survey map and check with your local council to make sure that a green lane is one that you can travel on by car or motorised transport before you start.

“We started Yorkshire 4x4 Tours a year ago with the aim of providing a safe environment for those who want to explore the countryside a little deeper than they have previously been able to. We’re certainly not about cutting up the countryside. The bad press about that usually comes about from hordes of trials bikes and other motorcycles going buzz-buzz-buzz and mud flying everywhere.

“Our average speed is usually less than 5mph and often as not I walk alongside the other drivers giving them instruction. Where we differ dramatically from trial bikes and others is that this is not some kind of ‘pay and play’ experience. It’s about providing a tour that is properly led and managed so that people can see the sights from lanes where they would normally never travel.”

Russell has his own personal favourite routes and views that he builds in to the tours.

“There is a green lane that goes over the top from Garton-on-the-Wolds to Cottam. It’s 10-12 cars wide and is a real drovers’ road. When our party of cars, which we cap at five, reaches the top I always make them park in a line across the lane. From there you can see the Humber Estuary, the Humber Bridge and the coast. It’s a great feeling being on top of the Wolds and on a fine day you just can’t beat it.

“Where we tend to operate most is at Goodmanham, near Market Weighton, heading off in the direction of the Blue Bell at Weaverthorpe for lunch. We then loop around to Kirkburn, near Driffield.”

Drovers’ roads were once the most important byways, the motorways of their day with the traffic mainly being cattle, sheep and horse drawn transport. Modern-day tarmac roads only made their appearance in the 19th century through the work of Thomas Telford and John Loudon McAdam.

Green lanes are neither maintained by Government or local authorities but there is an organisation of which Russell is a member that tries to keep them open and in reasonable order for driving.

“GLASS is the Green Lane Association and is managed by volunteers whose aim is to protect their status through strict rules and standards. GLASS has a website that highlights every green lane in the UK along with any lanes that are problematic or are now shut down due to damage. It’s called Wise Trails. We also always contact East Riding Council to check on any changes.”

Russell selects the tours based on driver ability and confidence, the type of vehicle and what the customer wants. He also bases it on the season and conditions.

“We’ve been organising these tours for the past 12 months and we are very aware of safety and the environment.

“Our customers are largely in the 50-70 age range and they really are here to enjoy the countryside as much as the driving experience.

“We had a farmer from Gloucestershire who came with his wife, son and daughter and they had to stop every five minutes whilst they took another picture because the farming is so different up here to what they are used to. Two retired farming brothers turned up in their pride and joy N-registered Defender that I’d actually sold them years ago.”

Not everyone wants to go off-road though and Russell has also found that the name Yorkshire 4x4 Tours has brought about another market.

“We had customers from the Cotswolds who simply booked us to collect them from their hotel in York and asked us to tour them around the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds. They didn’t want to go off-road, they just wanted someone to find them the roads that they would never have bothered with otherwise and to show them the best of the county.”

If you are considering using a green lane I can tell you from personal experience that having another more experienced driver, plus vehicle, with you is a “must”! I was hauled out of ruts twice in the 45 minutes I was on the Wolds!