22 August 2005
Get on your bike with Dartmoor National Park Authority
Loading your bikes on the car and driving onto Dartmoor, before enjoying a good bike ride, can be a chore, and you always have to think of a suitable circular route to get you back to your car again – not any more!
Dartmoor National Park Authority has organised two new transport services to help you enjoy the National Park by bike.
The Dartmoor Freewheeler and Dartmoor EasiRider services are being piloted by the National Park Authority to make cycling on Dartmoor easier and more fun.
Dartmoor Freewheeler is a free Sunday bus service, provided by Dartmoor National Park Authority in partnership with Woods Brothers of Buckfastleigh, operating from 28 August to 13 November 2005. The Freewheeler will serve two routes - East Dartmoor (operating between Ashburton, Bovey Tracey, Moretonhampstead and Mardon Down, near Moretonhampstead) and West Dartmoor (operating between Saltram House, on the edge of Plymouth, Yelverton and Princetown), enabling you to leave your car at home, catch the Freewheeler and cycle back.
Pick up a copy of the new Dartmoor Freewheeler leaflet, including suggested cycle routes and timetable, from Dartmoor National Park Authority Information Centres or telephone Dartmoor National Park Authority’s High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown on (01822) 890414.
Dartmoor EasiRider is a new ‘ring and ride’ service, available from Mondays to Saturdays. The service is provided by three private hire companies, operating from Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot and Totnes, and will transport cyclists and their bikes onto Dartmoor, to a location of their choice. Normal private hire/taxi fares will apply, but there is no surcharge for carrying bicycles. For more information and bookings, telephone (01803) 840 009.
A 12 bike transporter, commissioned by the National Park Authority, will be employed by both the Dartmoor Freewheeler and Dartmoor EasiRider services.
Ends
For Further Information
Steve Widman, Tourism and Recreational Transport Officer
Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority
Tel: (01626) 832093
Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are now available on the Authority's website
You can receive an e-mail notification each time a News Release is issued by the Dartmoor National Park Authority
News Releases from all UK National Parks
Notes for Editors
Priority for using the Freewheeler service will be given to those booking in advance by telephoning the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown, on (01822) 890414. The service is for cyclists only.
The 12 bike transporter is being built by Western Towing of Newton Abbot.
Where you can cycle
Routes where cyclists have a legal or permitted right to ride on Dartmoor include: public roads/highways; public bridleways, byways open to all traffic; cycle tracks and most Forestry Commission tracks.
Where you can’t cycle
Cyclists do not have a legal or permitted right to cycle on footpaths and open moorland – the only exception is where bridleways, byways and other permitted routes cross open moorland.
Off-road cycling
Dartmoor National Park Authority has produced Dartmoor for off-road Cyclists, a detailed weatherproof map, showing all legal and permitted cycle tracks, to help cyclists of all ages and abilities plan off-road cycling with confidence. Copies of the map are available from Dartmoor National Park Authority Information Centres, priced at £9.95, or visit the National Park Authority’s online shop at www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk.
National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,000 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.
Return to General Interest News Releases 2005 Archive
This page last updated 23 August 2005
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