I must make it clear that my questions here relate to a RoW issue
where motorists have been challenged about using a section of what
they believe is an unsurfaced public road.

There is quite a lot of compelling evidence for public status of the
route, not least its regular unchallenged use plus it is excluded
from hereditaments as at 1909 Finance Act evidence, but I would
appreciate some advice on a couple of OS map interpretation issues
please.

1. The First Edition large scale OS map denotes the route with thin
and thick lines denoting metalling. The question here is why would it
have been metalled if it was not a publicly maintainable road? It is
not, for instance, the drive to a mansion, but a linking route
between other parts of the public road network.

2. The route is coloured orange and with two gradient symbols on the
OS New Popular Edition map 1946, fully revised in 1930 with later
corrections and there is no indications of gates at the ends of the
route. It would be helpful to know if the orange colouring or
equivalent was used on earlier One Inch OS maps and also if
knowledgable members here believe that orange colouring and gradient
symbols were only used on publicly maintainable roads. Examples of
use of either or both on private routes would be he helpful, if only
to eliminate a line of contention.

I hope you don't mind the hijacking but it is very quiet on here at
the moment.

Brian