 The Ridgeway is an 85 mile (137km) route popular with walkers |
Drivers of 4X4 vehicles are to be banned from using parts of Britain's oldest known road during the winter. Quad bikes, trail bikes and off-road cars face a seasonal ban on stretches of the ancient Ridgeway from Wiltshire to Buckinghamshire.
They have been blamed for ruts in the 85-mile route, which is thought to be at least 6,000 years old and used by prehistoric man.
Off-road enthusiasts claim farmers and horses cause most of the damage.
The Ridgeway runs from Overton Hill, near Avebury in the south, to Ivinghoe Beacon, north of Aylesbury, and passes numerous Stone Age and Iron Age hill forts and burial mounds. All six councils along the route have agreed to the seasonal ban which will be imposed from October.
It follows meetings between rural affairs minister Alun Michael and campaigners who have sought a complete ban on vehicles since 1983.
Mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington had also pressed for a ban.
Ian Ritchie, chairman of the Friends Of The Ridgeway, said: "A voluntary code of respect has been in operation on the Ridgeway for 10 years but has plainly not been working.
Ruts and mud
"This ban is excellent news for all walkers, horse riders and cyclists who wish to enjoy the Ridgeway in peace, free from the ruts and mud that make the trail hazardous and unpleasant.
"Although a seasonal ban falls short of the total ban that we have been advocating, it is a very big step in the right direction."
Thames Valley Police have carried out patrols in Oxfordshire recently to catch off-road thrill seekers tearing up the track.
But quad bike fans from the Land Access and Recreation Association said they are a small minority and have been unfairly blamed for damage.
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Although a seasonal ban falls short of the total ban that we have been advocating, it is a very big step in the right direction 
