Search for the best green lanes in the UK and you get the same dozen names on every list. Plenty of those lists are years old, and several of the lanes they lead with are now closed to motor vehicles. Mastiles Lane, Long Causeway and Chapel Gate still top articles published this year.
So we checked every lane below against current council and national park records, and the lanes we hold on Holloway. The status shown is correct as of 25 September 2026. Every lane in the first half of this article was legal for a road-legal motorcycle on that date. The famous ones that aren't have their own section at the end.
How to read this. Lengths are what we've mapped, joined across every section of the lane, so they can differ from figures in other guides. Tap any lane name for its own page with a map, where each end is, and its current status.
The best green lanes at a glance
Grouped by region, with the status on the day we checked. Lengths are in kilometres; each lane card below gives miles too.
| Lane | Status | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Strata FloridaCambrian Mountains, Ceredigion | Open | 11.8 km |
| Water-break-its-neck BywayNear Llandegley, Powys | Open | 7.7 km |
| Kerry RidgewayWales and Shropshire border | Open | 6.1 km |
| Houndkirk RoadPeak District, Sheffield side | Open | 3.8 km |
| Stake Hill RoadPeak District, Sheffield side | Open | 2.6 km |
| Cam High RoadYorkshire Dales, near Hawes | Open, short part closed | 10.2 km |
| High LaneYorkshire Dales, Stalling Busk | Open | 3.3 km |
| Old Coach RoadLake District, Dockray | Open | 8.1 km |
| Tilberthwaite and High Oxen FellLake District, near Coniston | Open | 3.1 km |
| The RidgewayWiltshire downs | Seasonal on parts | 17.3 km |
| Ox DroveCranborne Chase, Wiltshire | Seasonal on parts | 14.0 km |
| Fosse WayWiltshire, near Norton | Motorcycles legal | 6.0 km |
| Old Coach RoadSouth Downs, East Sussex | Motorcycles legal | 4.1 km |
| Harrow WayNorth Hampshire | Open | 5.1 km |
| Pilgrims WayNorth Downs, Kent | Open | 4.3 km |
| Peddars WayWest Norfolk | Open | 12.4 km |
| Imber Range PathSalisbury Plain | Military range | 6.0 km |
Status changes, sometimes with little notice. Before you ride any of these, open the lane's page or use the Legal Status Search on it in the app, and check signage on the day.
Wales
Wales has the longest, wildest lanes in this list, most of them in the Cambrian Mountains and the hills of Powys. Our guide to the best green lanes in Wales covers the wider network.
Strata Florida
The lane most riders name first. It crosses the Cambrian Mountains roughly between Pontrhydfendigaid and the Abergwesyn mountain road, with a string of river crossings that sources put in the high single figures. The fords are the whole story: after heavy rain they go from fun to properly dangerous, so judge the water on the day, not the forecast.
Fords are the one hazard on this list that changes by the hour. A crossing you can ride at walking pace in August can be chest deep after a wet night.
Walk a ford first if you can't see the bottom. Our water crossing guide covers how.
Water-break-its-neck Byway
Seven mapped sections join into one long run across the hills near Llandegley, close to the waterfall it takes its name from. It sits among a cluster of Radnorshire byways, so it works best as part of a longer day rather than a lane on its own.
Kerry Ridgeway
An ancient ridge route along the Wales and England border near Kerry, with long views both ways. It is high and exposed, so it is a lane for a clear day.
Peak District
The Peak has lost more of its famous lanes than anywhere else in the country, and they are in the closed section below. What is left is shorter, but still worth riding. There is more in our Peak District guide and on the Peak District national park page.
Houndkirk Road
An old moorland road across Houndkirk Moor, south-west of Sheffield, running from near Ringinglow towards the Hathersage road. It is one of the few long legal byways left on the eastern moors.
Stake Hill Road
A moorland byway between Hollow Meadows and Ughill on the Sheffield edge of the park. Short, but easy to link with Houndkirk Road on the same day.
Yorkshire Dales
The Dales still have long, open byways through limestone country, and both of the big closures (Mastiles Lane and Gorbeck Road) are covered below. Our Yorkshire guide has more.
Much of the best riding here is on high, open moorland, where weather turns quickly and you can see the whole lane ahead of you.
High moorland lanes are exposed. Carry layers and a way to call for help, even in summer.
Cam High Road
A Roman road and old packhorse route between Ingleton and Hawes, which also carries parts of the Pennine Way and the Dales Way, so expect walkers. Our mapped 10.2 km are open. A short section near Gearstones is closed by a Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority order, so check which end you join.
High Lane
A compacted byway above Stalling Busk at the head of Semer Water. It links well with the lanes around Hawes.
Lake District
The Lakes are the most tightly managed area in England, which is why several of the famous names are either permit only or not legal at all. More in our Lake District guide.
Old Coach Road
Roughly five miles between Dockray and the Vale of St John, skirting the northern end of the Helvellyn range. It was once the main route east to west before the railway, and it is high and remote at the top. As an unsurfaced county road it carries our standard UCR caution: check locally.
Tilberthwaite and High Oxen Fell
Two connected roads near Coniston that have been surveyed and challenged more than almost any other route in the Lakes. The National Park Authority decided in 2019 not to make an order, and a judicial review of that decision was dismissed in 2020.
The South and East
Lowland chalk, sand and old droves. These are gentler than the upland lanes in dry weather, and some of the best places to start. The trade-off is winter: several close from October or November, and chalk gets slippery when wet.
A long, dry chalk track across open downland is what most people picture when they think of southern green laning.
Chalk lanes ride well dry and badly wet. Our surface guide explains why.
The Ridgeway
One of the oldest roads in Britain, along the downs of Wiltshire and West Berkshire. The byway sections close to motor vehicles from 1 October to 30 April, which is next week as we publish. In Oxfordshire the Ridgeway is a restricted byway and never legal.
Ox Drove
A long ridge drove above the Chalke Valley in Cranborne Chase. Parts of it carry a winter closure, 1 November to 31 March on our data, so check the section you plan to ride.
Fosse Way
The Roman road near Norton and Shipton Moyne. A council order bans cars here, but motorcycles remain legal, restricted to the designated track.
Old Coach Road
A South Downs byway between Firle and Berwick. East Sussex closes it to vehicles from 1 October to 31 March, with motorcycles exempt, so it stays open to you all year.
Harrow Way
A prehistoric route across north Hampshire, and one of the better lanes to start on, rated easy from mapping data.
Pilgrims Way
The old pilgrim route along the foot of the North Downs, here between Charing and Lenham. Easy in the dry, and busy with walkers at weekends.
Peddars Way
A long, straight Roman road through west Norfolk, on sand and grass. Other sections of the Peddars Way are restricted byway or footpath, so stay on the parts shown as legal.
Imber Range Path
The byway most people mean when they talk about Salisbury Plain. It runs inside the Imber Range, a live-firing military area that can close without notice. Check the range access times before you go, and never leave the marked route.
Famous, but closed
These still appear on "best of" lists. None of them can be ridden on an ordinary day.
| Lane and why | Status |
|---|---|
| Mastiles LaneYorkshire DalesYorkshire Dales National Park Authority order, Street Gate to Kilnsey. The only exemption is for one named trial. | Closed |
| Gorbeck RoadYorkshire DalesYorkshire Dales National Park Authority order, Langcliffe to Malham. | Closed |
| Long CausewayPeak DistrictPeak District National Park Authority order, 2014. Covers the whole road from Redmires Reservoir to Dennis Knoll, including the Sheffield end. | Closed |
| Chapel GatePeak DistrictPeak District National Park Authority order, 2014. | Closed |
| Derby Lane, Leys Lane and WashgatePeak DistrictSeparate Peak District National Park Authority orders, 2015 to 2017. | Closed |
| Jacob's Ladder, Stoney MiddletonPeak DistrictDerbyshire County Council order, 2019. | Closed |
| Monk's TrodMid WalesPowys County Council order. Motorcycle permit days have been run in the past, and none are scheduled. | Temporarily closed |
| Gatescarth PassLake DistrictLake District National Park Authority permit scheme. Motorcycles can ride it on set monthly days, in groups, with a permit. | Permit days only |
| Walna Scar Road and Garburn PassLake DistrictSettled as restricted byways (Walna Scar in 2012, Garburn in 2011). They have no rights for motor vehicles at all. | Not legal |
| The Ridgeway in OxfordshireOxfordshireThe Oxfordshire stretch is a restricted byway. Only the Wiltshire and West Berkshire byway sections are legal, and those close in winter. | Not legal |
| Sewstern Lane and The DriftLincolnshire and Leicestershire borderLincolnshire County Council order, in force 16 September 2024, no motorcycle exemption. The High Court dismissed a challenge to it in January 2026. | Closed |
A closure isn't always the end. Some orders are reviewed, and riders' groups have challenged several in court. The Keep Lanes Open page explains what actually helps, and our guide to how a lane gets closed and reopened covers the process.
Which lanes suit you
New to green laning: start in the south and east. Harrow Way, Pilgrims Way and Peddars Way are the gentlest here in the dry, and our starter guide covers the rest.
On a big adventure bike: the wider, firmer lanes suit a heavy bike better than rutted sunken ones. Old Coach Road in the Lakes and the Kerry Ridgeway are good examples. Our piece on being overbiked explains why smaller bikes often have more fun.
After something harder: Strata Florida's fords and the high moorland lanes are the step up. Ride them in a group, and not after a wet week.
Before you go
Three checks that matter more than any list, this one included:
- Check the status on the day. Orders, seasonal closures and emergency closures change. Each lane's page and the app's Legal Status Search are the quickest way.
- Know the difference between a BOAT and a UCR. A BOAT has recorded rights for motor vehicles. A UCR is on the council's list of streets, which doesn't prove the same thing. Our classification guide explains it.
- Ride like the lane depends on it. It does. Most closures follow damage and complaints. The unwritten rules are short.
Find more near you
This list is the famous end of a much bigger network. Green lanes by name lists every named lane we hold, county by county, and the national park guides show what is open in each park. On the Holloway map, every lane's legal status and hazards are free with a quick email sign-in. Holloway Premium, £20 a year, adds route planning across several lanes, GPX export and live navigation.