Enduro bikes riding on ancient hill on Welsh border

Off-roaders are being reminded that there is a traffic order that has been in place for many years which prohibits motor vehicles from using the byway that goes over Stapeley Hill, near the village of Priestweston on the Powys-Shropshire border.

The Traffic Regulation Order is in place to protect the scheduled monument Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle. A marked byway, which should only be used by vehicles for access, runs straight through the middle of the stone Circle.

Road signs at Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle. (Image: Mat Fascione/Geograph.org) The focus of many local legends, Mitchell's Fold is a Bronze Age stone circle set in dramatic moorland, and once consisted of some 30 stones, 15 of which are still visible.

West Mercia Police said: "We appreciate that Shropshire Council still have the Byway that goes over Stapeley Hill and the council’s ‘NO MOTOR VEHICLES’ signs either end of the Byway are old and weathered.

"However, we would like to remind off-roaders that this Byway has a permanent Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which has been in place for many years in order to prohibit motor vehicles from using the Byway. The Byway should only be used by vehicles for access.

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"Scheduled monuments such as Mitchell’s Fold Stone Circle are protected under law by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as well as other pieces of legislation.

"As a Scheduled monument there may be offences being committed as by driving or riding over the site could be considered as causing criminal damage to the site (which is protected under the act), this is punishable by a fine and two years in prison.

"Section 59 of the Police Reform Act also gives Police powers to seize vehicle’s that are off-roading and causing distress or annoyance to the public."