Understanding Access Rights in England and Wales

Your Right to Roam: Open Access Land Explained

For hillwalkers in England and Wales, the freedom to stride out across open country is something we should never take for granted. Thanks to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land are designated as open access land, where you have a legal right to walk freely without sticking to a path.

You will find these areas marked on Ordnance Survey Explorer maps with a pale orange wash, and on newer Landranger editions with similar shading. In practice, this covers much of the Lake District fells, the Peak District moors, Snowdonia's higher ground, the Yorkshire Dales and swathes of the North York Moors and Dartmoor.

On access land you may walk, run, climb and picnic, but the right does not extend to cycling, horse riding, camping, swimming or lighting fires. If you want to do any of those, you will need the landowner's permission or a specific local byelaw that allows it.

Public Rights of Way: Footpaths, Bridleways and Byways

Open access land is only part of the picture. England and Wales are criss-crossed by a vast network of public rights of way, and these are the routes that will get you from the road to the hillside, through farmland and along valley floors.

• Public footpaths — for walking only. Waymarked with yellow arrows.
• Public bridleways — for walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Waymarked with blue arrows.
• Restricted byways — walkers, horse riders, cyclists and horse-drawn vehicles. Waymarked with purple arrows.
• Byways open to all traffic (BOATs) — also open to motor vehicles, though many are effectively impassable. Waymarked with red arrows.

Unlike access land, rights of way are permanent legal routes and cannot simply be closed by a landowner. They can, however, be temporarily diverted or closed — for instance during tree felling, military training on Salisbury Plain, or lambing season. Always check the local council's online rights of way map or a notice at the trailhead before setting out.

Where You Cannot Go — and Why It Matters

Understanding the limits of your rights keeps you on the right side of both the law and the people who live and work in the countryside. Open access land does not include:

• Private gardens, farmyards, and land within 20 metres of a dwelling
• Land used for agriculture at the time (for example, a field of standing hay or a lambing field)
• Woodland, unless specifically designated as access land
• Nature reserves or Sites of Special Scientific Interest where seasonal restrictions apply
• Ministry of Defence land when red flags are flying

Closures are usually posted at access points and listed on local authority websites. During the bird-nesting season, some moorland estates introduce voluntary restraint on certain routes — a small inconvenience that protects ground-nesting species such as curlew and golden plover.

The Countryside Code: Simple Rules, Big Impact

The Countryside Code is short, memorable, and applies everywhere you go, whether on access land or a humble footpath. It boils down to respect — for the land, for wildlife, and for the people who make their living from it.

• Respect everyone — keep noise low, give way to others, and leave gates as you find them.
• Protect the environment — take all litter home, never light fires, and keep dogs under effective control (on a lead between 1 March and 31 July on access land, and around livestock at all times).
• Enjoy the outdoors — plan ahead, check the weather, and follow any local signs.

A quick word on stiles, gates and walls: if you can climb over it, cross it and carry on. If a gate is closed, close it behind you. If it is open, leave it open — the farmer probably opened it for a reason.

Closures, Diversions and Getting It Right on the Day

Even the most carefully planned route can meet an unexpected sign. Permanent or temporary closures on rights of way are published by the highway authority, often on their website or through public notices pinned to gates. On access land, the landowner may close the land for up to 28 days a year for management reasons — and the access authority can impose longer restrictions for fire risk or conservation.

If you meet a locked gate or a missing waymark, do not simply barge through a crop or climb a wall into private ground. Backtrack, take the nearest legal alternative, and report the obstruction to the local council's rights of way officer. Reporting problems genuinely helps — councils act on these logs, and persistent obstructions do get cleared.

Practical Habits for the Responsible Hillwalker

Access rights are a privilege that depends on us using them well. A few simple habits will keep your conscience clear and your boots welcome:

• Carry the relevant OS map — paper or offline — and know which land you are crossing.
• Park considerately in villages, never blocking field gates or passing places.
• Keep dogs on a short lead around cattle and sheep, and give grazing animals a wide berth.
• Take a bothy bag, spare layer and the means to navigate in poor visibility — access rights mean nothing if you are benighted on a moor.
• Leave no trace: no cairns built for fun, no stones dislodged, no wildflower picked.

The hills of England and Wales are more open to walkers than they have been for a century. Learn the map symbols, read the notices, follow the Code, and you will find the freedom of the fells is yours to enjoy — responsibly, safely, and for many years to come.