General Public's Responsibilities
- If you drive out before starting your walk, do not park your car where it will obstruct access to fields or private driveways
- If you are in a party, do not trespass by spreading out beyond the confines of the route.
- Know the different path designations and abide by the them.
- Footpaths - pedestrians only (marked with yellow arrows)
- Bridleways - pedestrians, horseriders and cyclists (marked with blue arrows)
- By-ways - open to all traffic but do not expect a smooth sealed surface (marked with red arrows)
- Roads used as Public Paths - the traffic entitled to use these depends on the legal history of the path and will probably be at least the same as the traffic entitled to use a bridleway
- You can use a Right of Way to make a bona fide journey taking a reasonable rest along the way.
- On Rights of Way you can:
- Take a pram, pushchair, wheelchair, but expect to encounter stiles on footpaths
- Take a dog which must be under close control especially near livestock. You may find, however, that stiles have not been specially designed to allow dogs to pass through them
- Take a short alternative route around an illegal obstacle
- Remove an illegal obstruction if you are unable to get past
For more guidance on the responsibilities on the general public in the countryside, have a look at the new Countryside Code. Alternatively, go to the Countryside Agency website, www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk
Page Last Updated: 23 August 2007
