Green Lanes - Our Heritage
This is the Slieau Dhoo Link which leads east towards the Druidale Greenway. This Greenway is about 1.2km long, but motorbike use has now completely destroyed it. In the 70's we have been told that this grass lane was in good condition. At the eastern end it is now a morass of deep ruts and has been rendered completely unusable. (These pictures were taken in July 2015. Pictures from the DEFA photographic survey are dated as shown.)
Looking west back along the track towards the sea. In this photo you can see clear evidence of illegal use by 4x4 vehicles.
What has been gained for the Island by destroying this greenway? Repairs to the greenway may now be scheduled during 2016, but this damage should never have been allowed to take place in the first place. This shows the inadequate supervision of these tracks and that a more competent and responsible body is now required if these easily damaged lanes are to survive.
This is the Slieau Dhoo Link which leads east towards the Druidale Greenway. This Greenway is about 1.2km long, but motorbike use has now completely destroyed it. In the 70's we have been told that this grass lane was in good condition. At the eastern end it is now a morass of deep ruts and has been rendered completely unusable. (These pictures were taken in July 2015. Pictures from the DEFA photographic survey are dated as shown.)
The Baltic Greenway goes west into the hills from Ballaugh. This is one of the worst affected tracks on the Isle of Man. The damage to certain parts of this greenway is so severe that closure to traffic for 100 years would not save this greenway without remedial rebuilding work. This track should have been closed years ago before it became so badly damaged, but this did not happen. Some ruts are over 3ft deep, and without rebuilding work and stabilising with grass, some parts of this track will just become washed out into deep ruts and ravines like the picture shown here.