Last update:
19th September 2007
Quick links:
Walking in the South West
Rights of Way & Local Access Forums in the
SW
Access maps in the South West
Linear access in the South West
Linear access relative to index of multiple deprivation
Linear access relative to population
Open access in the South West
Open access relative to index of multiple deprivation
Open access relative to population
Walking and health
Tourism in the South West
Sustainable tourism
South West Coast Path
Useful links
New access rights and maps
of access land already open
Countryside
and Rights of Way Act 2000
South West Tourism
Our South West
Visit Britain
Star UK (UK tourism statistics)
National Trust
Walking on Forestry Commission
land
Walking the Way to Health Initiative |
Access in the South West
What's new on this page...
 Walking
is a perfect way to get out and enjoy the South West's environment and,
as walking is low impact, it is also good for your health.
We are lucky in the region to have a vast network of public footpaths
and areas of open access. This webpage will provide you with more information
about where and how to get out walking.
Walking in the South West
There is an estimated 34,747km of footpaths, bridleways and byways open
to all traffic in the South West - representing 18% of the English total
(Countryside
Agency). The region is home to Britain’s longest National Trail,
the South
West Coast Path, with a second National Trail, The
Cotswold Way, being established, and parts of three others (Offas’s
Dyke Path, the Thames Path
and The Ridgeway)
crossing the region
The Countryside Agency's official Countryside
Access website is probably the best place to start for information
about the Countryside
Code and maps
of Open Access land in England. It contains ideas for what you can
do in the countryside, provides educational resources for teachers and
group leaders, maps, local walks in your area, a Countryside Directory
as well as details of the new right of access to Access Land, commonly
known as the 'right to roam', and lots more....
Finding out about walking
& access in the South West
The South West is lucky to have a large network of rights of way (including
footpaths, bridleways and public paths). These networks of paths are kept
in good condition by Access Authorities (usually your county council or
unitary authority), who are advised by Local Access Forums.
Local Access Forums have also been established to help in this process.
These forums are statutory bodies who provide independent advice on the
improvement of public access to land in their area for all types of open-air
recreation. Forums are made up of volunteers from recreational users,
landowners and other local interests, such as conservation, tourism and
business.
In order to maintain and make the most of our public rights of way, Access
Authorities have to produce Rights of Way Improvement Plans. These plans
set out the rights of way and access land improvement for your area over
the next 5 years.
We are trying to make it easier for you to find out
more about rights of way in your area. We have pulled together links
to who is responsible for rights of way in your area, Local Access
Forums and Rights of Way Improvement Plans for where you live in
the regional map opposite.
Click on your county or unitary area for more information.
More details of South West Local Access Forums, including contacts,
is available from Natural
England. |
Rights of Way, Rights of Way Improvement Plans
& Local Access Forums according to county or unitary authority
click to access links
|
More sources of information...
Why
not go for a walk in the South West? The Countryside Agency has collated
a selection of walks in or around towns and cities in the South West.
You
can also find details - and maps - for more than 1800 walks, rides and
areas of open access provided under the Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally
Sensitive Areas and Environmental Stewardship Schemes. There are currently
496 walks available to choose from in the South West, just under 30% of
the England total.
Access maps in the South West
There are two main options for walking in the South West, either by following
linear paths (following defined paths) or by walking on open access. Walking
on open access land gives you the chance to enjoy vast areas of England's
outdoors without the need to stick to paths. Commonly known as the 'right
to roam' this right covers some of England's most wild and dramatic landscapes,
heaths, moors, down and areas of registered common land.
The following maps reveal the extent of both linear and open access areas
in the region, according to 5km squared area.
Linear
Access in the South West
As can be seen in the map opposite, there is a clear trend towards
higher linear access per 5km2 in the North and East of the region,
with the highest concentrations found in Gloucestershire, Somerset,
Dorset and Wiltshire. Areas with particularly high linear access
can be found in Minchinhampton (Gloucestershire), Stonehouse (Gloucestershire),
Purton (Wiltshire) and Wroughton (Wiltshire).
Devon and Cornwall have particularly low densities of linear access,
with the majority of 5km2 areas recording less than 60km of linear
access. However, this trend does not apply to much of Penwith and
Kerrier. |
click to enlarge
Linear access includes public rights of way, access provided under
the England Rural
Development Programme and permissive linear routes) |
Linear
Access relative to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in the
South West
The South West has 95 census-based 'Super Output Areas' (SOA) that
rank within the most deprived 10% in England according to the Index
of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2004. The majority of people who live
in a deprived SOA in the South West live in urban areas, including
Bristol Plymouth, Swindon, Weston-super-Mare, Bournemouth and Gloucester.
However, 12 of the most-deprived SOAs in the region are in the generally
rural districts of Kerrier, North Devon , Penwith, Restormel and
Sedgemoor. Deprivation in these rural areas is predominantly in
the towns of Camborne, Redruth, Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Penzance
and St Austell.
It is difficult to make any generalisations about the distribution
of access relative to the Index of Multiple Deprivation in the region,
however lower access was found in areas such as North Devon and
Plymouth.
Comparing access and the index of multiple deprivation is useful
for considering access availability at the local level. However,
it is important to consider the quality and needs of access provision
rather than simply the quantity.
Maps revealing
Indices of Multiple Deprivation in the South West are available
from the South West Observatory, with the most up to date picture
& analysis available from the State
of the South West 2006 |
click to enlarge
Linear access includes public rights of way, access provided under
the England Rural
Development Programme and permissive linear routes) |
Linear
Access relative to population density in the South West
As can be seen in the map opposite, large urban areas have less
access per head of population. The region's principal urban areas
(Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester, Cheltenham,
Bournemouth & Poole, Plymouth, Torbay, Taunton and Exeter) all
clearly have less access.
However, some of the smaller towns and villages also have quite
low amounts of access provision relative to their population.
Areas with the lowest population densities in the region (West
Devon, West Somerset and Torridge) generally have high access.
The most up to date analysis of population
in the South West can be found here. |
click to enlarge
Linear access includes public rights of way, access provided under
the England Rural
Development Programme and permissive linear routes) |
Open access in the
South West
Areas of open access in the region are clearly highest in the regions
National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and
lowest in urban areas.
Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, as well as Bodmin Moor, Dorset
AONB , Cranborne Chase AONB, the Quantock Hills, Cornwall AONB,
North Wessex Downs, the Cotswold AONB and Forest of Dean have high
levels of open access. These areas may have up to 2,500 hectares
of open access land per 5km2.
|
click to enlarge
Open access includes areas designated under the Countryside &
Rights of Way Act (CROW), National Trust land, Forestry Commission
land and access provided under the England
Rural Development Programme |
Open access relative to
the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in the South West
The South West has 95 census-based 'Super Output Areas' (SOA) that
rank within the most deprived 10% in England according to the Index
of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2004. The majority of people who live
in a deprived SOA in the South West live in urban areas, including
Bristol Plymouth, Swindon, Weston-super-Mare, Bournemouth and Gloucester.
However, 12 of the most-deprived SOAs in the region are in the generally
rural districts of Kerrier, North Devon , Penwith, Restormel and
Sedgemoor. Deprivation in these rural areas is predominantly in
the towns of Camborne, Redruth, Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Penzance
and St Austell.
It is difficult to make any generalisations about the distribution
of access relative to the Index of Multiple Deprivation in the region.
However, Sedgemoor, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester, Swindon, Plymouth,
St Austell, Camborne & Redruth and North Devon all have relatively
less access to open space.
Comparing access and the index of multiple deprivation is useful
for considering access availability at the local level. However,
it is important to consider the quality and needs of access provision
rather than simply the quantity.
Maps revealing
Indices of Multiple Deprivation in the South West are available
from the South West Observatory, with the most up to date picture
& analysis available from the State
of the South West 2006 |
click to enlarge
Open access includes areas designated under the Countryside &
Rights of Way Act (CROW), National Trust land, Forestry Commission
land and access provided under the England
Rural Development Programme |
Open
access relative to population in the South West
As can be seen in the map opposite, large urban areas have less
access per head of population. The region's principal urban areas
(Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester, Cheltenham,
Bournemouth & Poole, Plymouth, Torbay, Taunton and Exeter) all
clearly have less access. However, some of the smaller towns and
villages also have quite low amounts of access provision relative
to their population.
Low population densities can be found in the region's National
Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which are again clearly
visible for having greater access to open space.
The most up to date analysis of population
in the South West can be found here. |
click to enlarge
Open access includes areas designated under the Countryside &
Rights of Way Act (CROW), National Trust land, Forestry Commission
land and access provided under the England
Rural Development Programme |
Walking and health
Walking the Way to Health Initiative
aims to get more people walking in their own communities, especially those
who take little exercise or live in areas of poor health. An initiative
of the British Heart Foundation and the Countryside Agency, this initiative
has helped to create over 350 local health walk schemes and has trained
over 20,000 volunteer walk leaders. Since 2000, it is estimated that we've
encouraged over a million people to walk more.
Coastal access for all?
Natural England’s proposals to open up the length of the English
coastline for public access went out to public
consultation on the 19th June 2007.
Defra’s
consultation exercise seeks views on a range of possible approaches
to improving coastal access – but makes clear that Government is
particularly interested in receiving views on Natural England’s
bold new approach.
Natural England is advising the Government to use new legislation to
give us flexible new powers to align a suitable strip of access land around
the English coast that people will be able to enjoy. They believe that
new access rights should concentrate on sections of coast where access
on foot is currently missing, defective or insecure. The work would create
a clear access corridor of varying width around the coast, with clifftop
walks complemented by ‘spreading room’ en route such as beaches,
dunes, headlands and viewpoints.
Natural England is looking to achieve significant environmental improvement
around the coast, building on the work to date of Environmental Stewardship
and its predecessor schemes. They are particularly interested in rolling
back the line of intensive agriculture from the cliff edge over time.”
Should Government decide following its consultation to proceed with the
recommended way forward, Natural England envisages a ten-year implementation
programme that would fully involve local authorities, farmers and landowners
and other key local interests.
Take
part in the consultation here.
|
