What can I do on
access land?
What can't I do on access land?
Can I walk anywhere in the countryside
now?
Can I take my dog on to access land?
What other restrictions are
there?
What is excepted land?
How can I tell where the access land
is?
Have the public rights of way changed?
What happens if I break the rules?
What can I do on access land?
Under these new rights you can do most recreational activities that
can be carried out on foot. Walking, running, bird watching and
sightseeing are all allowed. If you are visiting access land with
family or friends you may take the opportunity to have a picnic or
get some exercise with a quick game of frisbee or rounders, but
remember that you must not cause damage to the site and must take
away everything you bring with you.
In general this access is available all year 24 hours a day and
there are no limits to how much time you can spend on the land.
However some sites may have restrictions on them and you should
always look for notices on site.
What can't I do on access land?
The new rights do not allow access for horse riding, cycling or
driving a vehicle but if there is an existing public right of way
allowing this access it will still remain. You are also not allowed
to camp, light a fire, disturb any animals, leave litter or do any
damage to the site. Please remember that organised games and
commercial activities are not allowed on these sites.
Can I walk anywhere in the countryside now?
No, the new rights only apply to land that has been mapped as
open access. This could be because it is considered to be open
country, it is registered common land or has been dedicated as open
access. Currently there are no open access rights to woodland or to
the coast but there may be other public or permissive rights which
will give you access to these areas.
Can I take my dog onto access land?
You are allowed to take dogs on to most access land but they
must be kept on a short fixed lead between 1st March and 31st July,
this is because it is an important breeding period for wildlife. On
some sites these restrictions may have been extended for
conservation reasons or days may be excluded completely at certain
times. Please look on site for any notices which will tell you
about restrictions.
What other restrictions are there?
We are very lucky in Suffolk to have important conservation
areas but this means they do need to be protected. As well as the
restrictions placed on dogs there are some sites where access is
excluded to the public at certain times of the year. When this
restriction is in place there are no rights under open access to
enter the site but any other public rights will remain. It is very
important these restrictions are observed to protect wildlife, this
is your chance to play a valuable part in the conservation of these
sites.
What is excepted land?
Some of the areas that have been mapped as open access land are
shown on maps but are excepted land and the right of access does
not apply. These are generally easy to identify on the
ground:
aerodromes;
arable land which has been ploughed to grow crops within the past
year;
buildings and the land attached to them;
golf courses and race courses;
land being developed for the above purposes;
land under military bylaws;
land under structures - such as electricity substations and
telephone masts;
land within 20 metres of a house, or a building containing
livestock;
parks and gardens;
quarries;
racecourse training gallops;
railways and tramways; and
temporary livestock pens.
Any other legal access rights, such as public rights of way, can
still be used on these sites.
How can I tell where the access land is?
Maps showing open access land can be found at the Natural
England website. This site also shows any current restrictions
which may be in place.
The latest edition of the Ordnance Survey Explorer maps also show
open access land along with other areas which are open to the
public and also public rights of way.
Many of the sites in Suffolk have A4 site signs with open access
information and maps to help you find your way, you may also see
the open access symbol to show where the sites are.
Have the public rights of way changed?
The new access rights have not had any effect on existing public
rights of way. Any public footpaths, bridleways and byways on
open access land will still be in place and can be used as before
but any higher rights will not apply to the access
land. For example, you may ride on a bridleway across an open
access site but must not leave the public right of way as there is
no right to take a horse on to open access land.
What happens if I break the rules?
If you break the rules you lose the new right of access to that
land for 72 hours and become a trespasser. Serious or repeated
cases could result in the landowner seeking a court injunction to
keep you from the land