Cycle ride turned into thorny horror

4:24pm Thursday 13th November 2008

HEREFORDSHIRE Council must be ashamed at the disgraceful state of some bridleways. I cycled on the bridleway starting south of Sutton St Nicholas from SO 536 446 on OS Explorer Map 202, to SO 540 436, which rapidly became a nightmare of muddy narrow (20 cms) paths.

I was scratched by brambles and stung by nettles. My mountain-bike is one-wheel drive, so I had to get off and slosh though thick mud. I escaped along the bridleway/track to Ridgeway Road at SO 548 441.

A caravan club owner agreed, saying compared to Nottinghamshire they and the footpaths were dreadful, and impeded his business because they were unpleasant to use. We need money coming in to our county. I ask the council to make bridleways and footpaths fit for purpose.

DR DAVID WALTER, Yarkhill Court Barns, Yarkhill.