You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
![Councillor Peter Gould](/image-library/peter-gould-ws-hr-1.xb6cb8b20.jpg?width=470&height=256&fit=crop&quality=75&format=webp)
You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
New rights for the public to access land without having to use particular paths were created by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and this land is known as open access land or access land.
Suffolk County Council enables and manages open access in Suffolk, and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 gives us the authority to make bylaws, appoint wardens, erect and maintain notices, and improve the means of access.
Open access areas are either:
In Suffolk we have heathland, and therefore the main areas of open access land are in the Brecks in the west of the county, and on the coast.
There is also some open access land that has been dedicated by landowners. Because low lying heath is now a rare habitat, many of Suffolk's open access sites are also designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and are protected. Therefore if you are visiting open access land, please be careful not to disturb the wildlife.
You can use open access land for walking, running, watching wildlife and climbing.
You cannot usually use open access land for horse riding, cycling, camping, taking animals other than dogs onto the land, driving a vehicle (except mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs), or water sports. However, you can use open access land for horse riding and cycling if the landowner allows it, public bridleways or byways cross the land, or there are local traditions or rights of access for those purposes.
If you are taking dogs onto open access land, you must keep your dog:
There may be other local or seasonal restrictions. These do not apply to public rights of way or assistance dogs.
Some areas of open access land remain private. These are known as excepted land. You do not have the right to access these areas, even if they appear on a map of open access land, other than by public rights of way.
Excepted land includes:
You can search for open access land in Suffolk and find out about land that is currently closed.
You can also find more information about common land in Suffolk on our website.
On many of the larger sites in Suffolk, we have provided signs at the access points which give some information about open access and include a map to help you find your way.
All of the sites which have exclusions or extended restrictions on them have signs which say when the areas are open.
You can contact the Open Access Centre for more information about open access land in general: