I HAVE owned a holiday cottage in Bratton Clovelly for a couple of years and come down to stay as often as possible, bringing my horse and carriage. When riding I have found the area very well stocked with bridleways and have been thrilled to bits with the countryside and the views.
I have also driven my horse and carriage on the quiet country roads in the area and have found them to be a splendid way to explore this very beautiful area.
There is unfortunately one stretch where I have to go on the main A3079 between the Grindhill turn and the Chestermoor turn. My only alternative being to go the very long way back through Bratton Clovelly or right out the other way through Ashbury.
This stretch of the main road is very straight and therefore I can be seen from a long way off and drivers have been fairly considerate but very, very fast in passing.
There are several bridleways on the Ashbury side of the A3079 which I have yet to explore, but I find that there is a problem at Thorndon where three bridleways have to be accessed by another trip on the main road. The road here is narrow, hilly and bendy.
I have not yet had the courage to ride my horse along this stretch so that I can use these bridleways. My horse behaves admirably on the roads, it is I myself who can see the danger and I am too full of fear so far to attempt to ride there.
I am not at all happy with driving my carriage along the straight bit of the road and feel that even this is a very dangerous risk, but the bends at Thorndon are very much more dangerous.
I can see on the map that there is a disused railway to the north along this stretch of the road and I would like to see the possibility of this being used to connect these bridleways, therefore avoiding the need to use the extremely dangerous main road.
Maureen Thompson
Bratton Clovelly