RIDERS have a new venue for off-road activities with the opening of a facility at Sedgeberrow.

The Toll Rides Off-road Trust (TROT) has opened the bridleway at land on Lower Portway Farm.

TROT is a registered charity, which aims to improve riding for everyone, for a small fee, with tracks across private land, farmland and woodland.

In return for co-operating in the scheme, landowners and farmers are paid for allowing toll rides on their land.

One of the benefits of the toll rides is that they enable riders to avoid the hazards associated with road traffic and narrow lanes.

Most toll rides provide places for horseboxes to be parked, away from traffic. They use either circular routes or ways across private land to join existing bridleways, cutting down on the need to use roads.

The Lower Portway Farm toll ride has been provided by Alan Stow and is based on grass tracks around the farmland, in a figure of eight. It crosses the river Isbourne by means of a ford and has two entrances, both with parking available.

A day license to ride is available on application but a full membership, which works out cheaper, is another option.

The Sedgeberrow toll ride is one of three in Worcestershire. One is at Wick, with the other at Ombersley.

Anyone who wants more information about joining TROT can phone local agent Janet Vaughan on 07967 500923.

Anyone interested in having a toll ride on their land should phone Judith Smart, on 01299 851279.