Tomorrow, Thursday 02 January all of the roads in Savernake Forest will be closed to public access for all vehicles, from first light to last light.
Why? To maintain its private status (especially to prevent the creation of vehicular rights of way). An old legal necessity, not unique to Savernake Forest as all other similarly owned private estates that allow public vehicular access employ the same procedure, but each estate will have their own designated day for closure. For Savernake it’s the first working day after New Year – which falls this year on Thursday 02 January.
The Marquess of Ailesbury told Marlborough.news: “Since forever we have always shut the Forest to all vehicles (except Emergency vehicles, obviously) on the first working day of the year, which this time will be Thursday January 2nd. Vehicles must physically prevented from entering the Forest during daylight hours, because if an Estate owner allows the Public to enter unhindered for 365 consecutive days a Public Right of Way can start to be created, which an Estate owner would not want as his reward for allowing the Public in, for free, the whole time.”
So for anyone wishing to walk their dogs in peace, or have a gentle hike along one of Savernake’s many roads tomorrow will be perfect.