Annotated map reproduced courtesy of Googlemaps.

The route starts on Offley 14 bridleway and runs generally southeastwards to Chalk Hill, an unsurfaced public road. A volunteer has photographed this route for the 2021/22 Access and Riding Rights of Way Survey, and the page will be updated shortly. Find out more! At the time of the BHS 2022 Access Survey (10 Apr 22), there were no gates across the path, but overgrowth that wasn't present in 2013 made the route very hard to get all the way along. There were no signposts.

As part of the British Horse Society's work to record paths before Path Extinguishment Day, it was spotted that Offley 14 would be a cul-de-sac for riders if this unrecorded route were stopped up. The historical evidence showed a continuous route and there had been plenty of use of the route by riders over many years, so an application was made in 2013 to record the gap. Unfortunately the county council has a large backlog of applications to process, so it could take a while.

Legal History 1 Nov 1953: The route was not recorded on the original definitive map and statement. DM sheet DM4-28 (H11NE). 31 Dec 1977: The route was not shown on the special review draft map and statement. DM sheet SR-20 (TL12NE). 20 Jun 2013: Application made to record route as restricted byway. HCC reference NH/253. 9 Nov 2017: Landowner Deposit under s.31(6) Highways Act 1980 does not admit this route. 6 May 2021: Reports are coming in of wire across the route at the southern end. We asked the county council to investigate. Wire was subsequently removed. 10 Apr 2022: Overgrowth is now preventing equestrian access, so it will be necessary to advance the application. 29 Apr 2022: Application made to the Secretary of State for a direction. PINS reference FPS/M1900/14D/32. 13 Oct 2022: Secretary of State directed Hertfordshire County Council to determine the application within 12 months (by 13 Oct 2023). (FPS/M1900/14D/32) Application Process Path Application Certificate Direction Inv Report Order Confirmed EC1000 20 Jun 2013 NH/253 13 Oct 2022 (12mo)

Definitive Map sheet: 20 [This route has not yet been added to the definitive map and so there is no definitive statement.] Maintainability We think: This route is maintainable at the public expense because it was a highway before 1835.

© 2025 Patchetts Green Bridleways Trust. File reference: EC668. HCC reference: NH/253.