What’s New

We opened our latest network in the Welsh Borders in January 2004. Click here to for the details!

Our major achievement in 2003 was the completion and opening of the new Norfolk network. The feedback we’ve received from folk who have ridden it to date has been excellent. If you want more information, simply click on the link above.
We often use our regular re-rides as an opportunity to develop new routes or increase the choice of rides. We re-rode part of the Bedford Rides network at the end of March, and during Easter week we completed the research riding for a brand new 2 day place to place ride in the North Cotswolds between Sibford Ferris and Oxhill. This extends the North Cotswolds network northwards into Warwickshire. The terrain is fairly gentle, and you can combine these 2 days with another 2 day place to place ride to make a 4-day figure-of-eight circuit. If you want a longer break of up to 6 days, you can even add on a couple of petal rides. We’ve added a couple of photos of Bobbie and Herbie doing the research riding below – or click here to see the updated North Cotswolds network page.

The photo on the left shows a bridleway snaking into the distance near Cherington, close to the Warks. / Oxon. border.

The one below shows Bobbie and Herbie from Bridle Rides on an old Roman Road near Tadmarton.

We’ve also completely re-vamped the rides from both our one-centre holidays in Cranborne Chase. The one in the north west of the network was completed in June 2004 and the other one near Cranborne village on the Dorset / Hants. border was completed in August. The rides in the Ridgeway Downs and the eastern half of Exmoor have had a make-over too. While the old favourites are still there, we’ve added in some brand new routes and pub-stops.

other news – Black Mountains network closes

Due to the loss of a key host in last year and problems with the routes in the north of the network following the Foot and Mouth crisis, we reluctantly decided to close the Black Mountains network at the end of the 2003 season. We haven’t decided yet whether the closure will be permanent. The challenging terrain means that there hasn’t been enough customer demand over the last few years to justify the cost of maintaining place to place rides – although we may re-open a standalone one-centre holiday at some point in the future.

We’ve replaced the Black Mountains with the new Welsh Borders network where the terrain is not quite so steep! The feedback we’ve had from riders who’ve tried both shows that they prefer the new one – so why not give it a try??

plans for 2005
When we took Bridle Rides on five years ago, one of our key long term plans was to include a one-centre holiday in every network. We’ll be working on some new rides in the Wansdyke during the winter close season with a view to opening in 2005. We spent a frustrating few days in 2003 researching petal rides around Egton in the North York Moors, and only ended up with one viable route. We’re planning to have a look at possibilities in another part of the network, although we probably won’t complete the research riding until spring 2005 – so watch this space!

The planned widening of the A303 to the west of Salisbury will require a re-vamp of the Great Ridge during the next 12 months, and we also have plans to do some research riding in the Yorkshire Wolds to see how it shapes up as a possible new network.