Horse riders throughout Monmouthshire have joined together to re-open a popular forestry route.

The riding community have been using the track through Craig yr Allt Forest, in Upper Llanover for decades but were dismayed when the owners of the land, Natural Resources Wales, installed kissing gates at either end in an effort to combat motorcycle scrambling.

The riders claim the gates have had the effect of preventing horses from accessing the track, but have done nothing to keep out scramblers.

And now the horse riders have the support of MP David Davies and county councillor Bryan Jones in their effort to force a rethink.

Campaign leader, Janet Villars, from Mamhilad has held meetings with NRW to try to find a way to allow equestrians to use the mile-long track while still preventing access by scramblers.

Janet said, ‘By installing the kissing gates, NRW goes directly against Welsh Government and Local Government strategy to increase and improve safe off-road riding and circular routes for horses.

‘I have ridden this route without any issues or problems since 1979. I have tried to reason with NRW to implement an alternative solution that enables horse’s access whilst prohibiting motorbikes but they have refused to do this’.

And this week she joined other riders and campaigners at the blocked track where they put their concerns to MP David Davies and Councillor Jones.

Mr Davies MP said, ‘I am surprised and disappointed that NRW have made it impossible to ride horses across the forest. It is a beautiful stretch of countryside and NRW should be supporting those who want to make use of it in this way’.

Demonstrator, Pennie Graton, from Llanover, said, ‘The kissing gates makes no difference the motor bikes still go round there, I hear them regularly. It’s just stopping our pleasure from riding where people have been riding continuously since the early seventies. It’s so unfair and unreasonable’.

Dame Claire Clancy, former chief executive of the Welsh Assembly, said, ‘This was a trip down memory lane for me as I used to live nearby and ride here all the time. We should be enabling access for future generations, not excluding them’.

Dai Rees, land manager for Natural Resources Wales, said, ‘We want people to be healthy and enjoy the great outdoors by using the forest roads and trail network we manage across Wales.

‘We installed kissing gates at both ends of a public footpath in Craig yr Allt forest to stop illegal off-road motorbikes using the path, and ensure the safety of people using it.

‘Following talks with the local horse-riding community, we installed a combination lock and mounting blocks to enable free horse access through the forest on routes other than the public footpaths.

Natural Resources Wales also stated, ‘The route in question is a public footpath - public right of way and access is the responsibility of Brecon Beacons National Park Authority; therefore horses do not have a legal right of access along the path.

‘There are other bridleways within this forest which link the same location up to the open hill.

‘An application to upgrade this footpath to a bridleway has been submitted to the Brecon Beacons National Park. If this application is agreed then Natural Resources Wales will replace the infrastructure to enable horse access’.