Riding Enduro in United Kingdom

The UK has great riding terrain and very little of it is open to motorbikes. The law is the whole story. In Great Britain it is an offence to drive a motor vehicle on common land, moorland or any land that is not a road, and on footpaths, bridleways and restricted byways, without lawful authority (Road Traffic Act 1988, s.34).

So British riding happens in three places:

1. Byways open to all traffic (BOATs) and other public roads with vehicle rights. These are the "green lanes".
2. Private land with the owner's permission: quarries, farms, practice tracks.
3. Events on private land, such as Valleys Hard Enduro.

The best-known hard enduro terrain is former industrial land. Walters Arena in the South Wales Valleys spans more than 4,000 acres of rugged former mining landscape, according to its event organiser.

South Wales Valleys: Walters Arena

Walters Arena hosts Valleys Hard Enduro. It covers more than 4,000 acres of former mining land in the heart of the South Wales Valleys. Its postcode is SA11 5TU, above Glynneath (directions).

Mid Wales: Llandrindod Wells

The International Six Days was based at Llandrindod Wells seven times between 1933 and 1961, per the ISDE host list. Wales hosted again in 1983.

Scotland: Lochaber

The Scottish Six Days Trial runs on road and off-road routes around Lochaber, based in Fort William. Riders cover up to 100 miles a day. It is a trials event, but it shows what Scotland's hills offer a skilled rider. Remember that Scotland's right to roam does not cover motor vehicles (see Regulations/Permits).

England: green lanes

England's legal trail riding is on byways open to all traffic. These can be anywhere in the country. Check the council's definitive map for their status.

Valleys Hard Enduro (Walters Arena)

Valleys Hard Enduro is a two-day race at Walters Arena. It launched in 2024. Its race format is built for everyone from first-timers to elite riders. The 2026 Sunday races ran on 10 May (results). The 2027 race format is still to be announced (race format). Camping and motorhomes are welcome, but there is no running water or electricity on site.

The event is run by Outdoor Welsh Events, led by four-time Dakar rider Nick Plumb. The same team runs the Dawn to Dusk enduro and Valleys Xtreme.

Scottish Six Days Trial (Fort William)

First run in July 1909, the SSDT is the oldest motorcycle trials event in the world. Since 1977 it has started and finished in Fort William (Wikipedia).

British riders on the world stage in 2026

• Mitch Brightmore won Silver Kings in Idaho, his first world championship round win (Cycle News). He was second at Extreme XL Lagares (Cycle News) and Abestone (Cycle News).
• Jonny Walker set the fastest prologue time at Silver Kings and won the SuperKings final.

• Auto-Cycle Union (ACU). The governing body of motorcycle sport in the British Isles, founded in 1903. It covers Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, but not Northern Ireland.
• Event organisers. Outdoor Welsh Events runs three events a year, including Valleys Hard Enduro (Valleys Hard Enduro).
• Clubs. The Edinburgh Motor Cycle Club devised the first Scottish trial in 1909.

British riders

Britain's hard enduro record:

Rider	Highlights
Graham Jarvis	7 Red Bull Romaniacs wins; 5 Erzberg wins
Jonny Walker	Erzberg winner 2012, 2014, 2015 (shared)
David Knight	Erzberg winner 2005, 2006
Billy Bolt	First FIM Hard Enduro world champion; six SuperEnduro world titles
Mitch Brightmore	Silver Kings 2026 winner

Sources: Romaniacs winners, Erzberg winners, Billy Bolt.

Also see Paul Bolton.

England and Wales

The offence. Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle, without lawful authority:

• on common land, moorland or any other land that is not part of a road; or
• on a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway.

Where you can ride. GOV.UK's rights of way guidance lists byways open to all traffic as open to "any kind of transport, including cars". Footpaths, bridleways and restricted byways are not open to motor vehicles.

Open access land is not riding land. The right to roam does not include driving a vehicle (GOV.UK).

Lost rights. The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, s.67 extinguished many unrecorded public rights of way for motor vehicles. It hit ways that were not on the definitive map, or were shown only as footpaths, bridleways or restricted byways. There are exceptions, such as ways mainly used by vehicles in the five years before the Act.

Scotland

Scotland's access rights are wide, but they exclude being on land "in or with a motorised vehicle" (Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, s.9).

Your bike

On any byway or road, the bike must be road-legal, taxed, insured and ridden on the right licence.

In the UK, the calendar matters more than the weather. Most riding is on private land and at events, so plan around them:

When	What
May	Valleys Hard Enduro (Sunday races 10 May 2026)
Year-round	Private practice land and byways, subject to local restrictions

Byways and other roads with vehicle rights are the only public riding. Check with the local highway authority for any restrictions before you ride.

Walters Arena. Use postcode SA11 5TU. The organiser warns of a mobile speed camera on the hill down into Glynneath. Nearby villages have food and fuel (directions).

Camping. Camping and motorhomes are welcome at Valleys Hard Enduro, but bring your own water and power.

Your own bike. For byways you need a road-legal bike. For events and private land, a race bike is fine.

• Check the definitive map. A lane's status is on the council's definitive map. If it is a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway, you cannot ride it.
• No riding on open access land. The right to roam is for walkers.
• Scotland is not a loophole. Its access rights exclude motor vehicles.
• Emergency number. Dial 999 or 112 (GOV.UK).
• Prepare for slick rock and mud. Our logs and rocks and tire system pages help.

The Six Days began in Britain. The International Six Days Trial, today's 6DAYS, was first held in 1913 at Carlisle, England (ISDE history). Britain won the first edition.

Year	Milestone
1903	Auto-Cycle Club founded, later the ACU
1909	First Scottish trial, devised by the Edinburgh Motor Cycle Club
1913	First International Six Days Trial, Carlisle
1925–1928	Six Days in Southampton, Buxton, Ambleside and Harrogate
1933–1961	Llandrindod Wells, Wales, hosts the Six Days seven times
1965, 1971, 1975	Six Days on the Isle of Man
1983	Six Days in Wales
2005	David Knight wins his first Erzberg
2024	Valleys Hard Enduro launches at Walters Arena

The 1927 Six Days produced a famous result: the only Silver Vase ever won by a women's team, Marjorie Cottle, Edyth Foley and Louie McLean.

British riders then shaped hard enduro. Graham Jarvis shares the Romaniacs record of seven wins, and Billy Bolt became the first FIM Hard Enduro world champion.

• Where the Six Days began. Carlisle, 1913.
• Former industrial terrain. Walters Arena's 4,000 acres of former mining land.
• Clear, strict law. Byways yes; footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and open land no.
• World-class riders. Jarvis, Walker, Knight, Bolt and Brightmore.

Want open terrain? Romania and Portugal allow riding on forest and unpaved roads.