Where can I drive carriages?

Rights of Way
Horse and carriages may be driven only on byways (known as 'BOATs'), roads used as public paths ('RUPPs') or unclassified roads (part of the road network rather than a Right of Way) - not on bridleways or footpaths unless you believe the path is wrongly classified and should be a BOAT, or unless you have the permission of the owner.

That still leaves many miles of delightful Hampshire countryside accessible to horse and cart, and in due course it is hoped that more routes will be added as old lost ways are rediscovered.

How do I find out about which paths are which?
A Map of Rights of Way in Hampshire shows all the Rights of Way; this is updated daily but is not guaranteed to reflect the official legal position. A copy of the legal Definitive Map may be consulted at the the county council's Rights of Way office in Mottisfont Court, Winchester - please contact us if you would like to visit. You should also look at information on how to find and follow Rights of Way on maps and on the ground.

However, in practice the various classes of Rights of Way are shown on modern Ordnance Survey maps. The best are the Explorer series (orange covers) or the Outdoor Leisure series (yellow covers) which deal with the New Forest and other holiday areas. These are available at most bookshops or direct from the Ordnance Survey. Those that cover Hampshire are as follows:

No 158 Newbury; No 159 Reading; No 130 Salisbury and Stonehenge; No 131 Romsey and Andover; No 144 Basingstoke; No 145 Aldershot; No 132 Winchester; No 133 Petersfield and Haslemere; No 22 (Outdoor Leisure series) New Forest; No 119 Meon Valley; No 120 Chichester; No 29 (Outdoor Leisure series) Isle of Wight

Rights of Way are also shown on the Landranger (pink cover) series, but there is less detail (for instance field boundaries are not shown), and therefore they are less suitable for picking your way across country. Beware of old maps - they do not show definitive Rights of Way reliably.

Other driving opportunities
As well as the Rights of Way and minor road network, other free of charge and permit/paid-for opportunities for driving may exist locally.  For example, the Forestry Commission allow carriage-driving on a selection of routes which are not Rights of Way.  Details may be available from local clubs, societies and riding stables.

The British Horse Society web-pages for Hampshire also give useful information about the area.