What to do
Public rights of way are mainly used for walking, running and horse riding, but on some, you can also ride a bike, or use a motorised vehicle:
- Public Footpath: You may walk on a footpath and you are also entitled to use it with a pram, pushchair or wheelchair although many paths, particularly rural ones, are not suitable for such use.
- Public Bridleway: You may walk, ride or lead a horse, or ride a bicycle along a bridleway. Cyclists should give way to pedestrians and horseriders. Most bridleways haven't been designed or improved for cyclists, so they may be difficult to use on bikes.
- Restricted Byway: You can use a restricted byway in the same ways as a bridleway, plus with a horse-drawn carriage.
- Byway Open to All Traffic: This is a highway that is used by the public mainly for walking, riding horses or cycling, but over which there is also a right to use any kind of wheeled vehicle - whether it is a horse-drawn vehicle or a taxed and insured motor vehicle.
Volunteers from the Joint Local Access Forum (the JLAF) have kindly written some friendly introductions to walking, running and horse riding - use the menu on the left - and we've help from our partner website, better by bike to help you get out and about on your bikes.