Drove Road Repairs

The Drove Road at Ranmore Common is an ancient track on the Wotton Estate which cattle and other livestock would have been guided along on their way to market. After World War II it was classified as an unsurfaced route open to all traffic, known as a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT).

In recent years it has attracted a small group of criminals in 4x4s and on motorcycles who routinely bash their way through the ancient hedge-line to tear up the sensitive woodland disrupting wildlife and residents, while also making the existing path network less accessible.

Through the Access Fund work was done to shore up multiple entry points along the byway’s length to prevent further illegal access. This work has been further supported by volunteering led by the Surrey Hills Society and Surrey Choices, which has pulled together a cohort from the Green Lanes Association and Trail Riders Fellowship that have begun restoring the natural habitat through a series of dead hedges.