Horse riders to benefit from routes around Army base
North Yorkshire County Council embarked on the project with the British Horse Society and Ministry of Defence officials to create the bridleways around Catterick Garrison, and the first of the routes have now been officially opened.
The vision to boost walking, cycling and horse riding routes in the area was first discussed more than seven years ago, and work to ensure it became a reality has taken the last three years to complete.
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Hide AdThe council’s executive member for rural services, Coun Chris Metcalfe, said: “These new bridleways will be a tremendous boon for riders in Catterick Garrison, and are a great example of what can be achieved when partner organisations get together.”
The council joined forces with the British Horse Society and the MOD’s property and services provider the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), and selected the bridleways from a range of potential routes.
Two bridleways providing an off-road link from Haig Road to Hipswell Road West, continuing through to Gough Road, were officially opened last Friday.
Bridleways linking Catterick Road to Horne Road will be opened over the next few weeks and horse riders hope to identify other routes that can be created in the future.
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Hide AdThe new bridleways allow riders to head through the garrison without having to use the same roads as traffic, and also link into quieter routes beyond the town itself.
The DIO’s head of land management services, Douglas Bodie, said its priority was to support Armed Forces as they prepared for operations, but it was also committed to helping local communities – both military and civilian - enjoy their surroundings safely.
Meanwhile, a new bridleway bridge over the River Swale linking Brompton-on-Swale and Catterick Garrison will be opened on Saturday by Richmond MP and Foreign Secretary William Hague.
The new crossing, which will link off-road routes on opposite banks of the river, uses a renovated former railway bridge which previously carried more than a million soldiers to and from the Army base.